Following the successful completion of the all-critical SCRAM systems tests and performance validations of the the third-generation OK-700A/VM-4SG pressurised water reactor (generating 89.2mW thermal/29.73mW electric and producing 18,000hp when using 44% enriched uranium) on board the Arighat S-74 SSGN, the stage is now set for the SSGN’s commissioning by next February.
SCRAM, also known as AZ-5 (referred to as A3-5 by Russia) is the process of the PWR’s emergency shutdown by immediately terminating the fission reaction through the insertion of control rods. For the INS Arihant S-73 and Arighat S-74, the Reactor Control & Protection System (RCPS) and the Control Rod Drive System (CRDS) were engineered back in the previous decade by the Control Instrumentation Division of BARC under the leadership of P.P. Marathe, while the applications software was developed by Dr. Usha Pal.
Built by ECIL, both the RCPS and CRDS, just like the Larsen & Toubro-developed integrated platform management system and battle damage control system, plus the TATA Power SED-developed ‘Saaraansh’ combat management system, all make use of triple-redundant MIL-STD-1553B databus channels for functioning.
