Equipment Locks

An equipment lock is a sealed chamber designed to transport various cargoes to the reactor core. We can consider it like a buffer between the sealed reactor hall and the shop area of the nuclear power plant. Inside, the equipment lock contains rails for a cargo trolley. An automated hydraulically-driven control system opens the outer gate by moving it in a horizontal plane. When the cargo is inside the lock, the outer gate closes tightly. Then, the system opens the inner gate and the trolley continues to move on the rails towards the reactor. Similarly, the trolley moves in the opposite direction - from the reactor to the NPP shop area. This is the way of reactor core refuling .

In addition, various devices, fixtures, materials, spare parts, etc.are delivered through the equipment lock for repair and maintenance of the NPP equipment.