Recently, the 2024 Nuclear Power Fire Protection (Electrical) Technology Exchange Conference was held in Hangzhou. Narada's Chairman and President, Zhu Baoyi, delivered a speech at the conference, while Vice President and Chief Engineer, Xiang Jiayuan, presented a keynote address.
The 1E valve-controlled battery serves as the last line of safety when electrical supply issues arise at nuclear power plants, with extremely high safety and reliability requirements. Following the Fukushima incident, the National Nuclear Safety Administration mandated improvements to the battery power supply capabilities of operating and under-construction nuclear power plants, as existing domestic and international batteries failed to meet the requirements.
In response, since 2017, Narada has collaborated with the Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Institute to undertake a national major scientific and technological project, successfully developing a super-large capacity 1E valve-controlled battery with independent intellectual property rights in 2020.
The 1E valve-controlled battery represents the highest level of research and manufacturing in the field of valve-controlled batteries. The products and related technological achievements developed by Narada are currently the largest capacity 1E valve-controlled batteries for nuclear power plants in the world, achieving the highest safety and reliability standards.
The project has developed a battery identification method system, multi-alloy melting and solidification phase change technology, and a multi-dimensional battery remaining life assimilation prediction algorithm, successfully filling international gaps and achieving a leading position globally, which is significant for the development of the country's nuclear power industry.
Narada's nuclear 1E valve-controlled battery features higher energy and power densities, with a specific capacity of 45Ah/L. Compared to traditional liquid-rich batteries, it is 32% lighter and 45% smaller. This battery does not require electrolyte addition throughout its entire lifecycle, making it environmentally friendly and significantly reducing maintenance workload.
The battery rack employs a three-layer stacking design, reducing the footprint by 60% compared to liquid-rich batteries. The modular support structure facilitates the loading and unloading of batteries. Under the same space constraints, this design breaks through the current capacity limitations of batteries used in nuclear power plants, enhancing the power supply capability during severe accidents and ensuring the safety of nuclear power stations.
In terms of product safety, Narada's nuclear 1E valve-controlled battery has passed seismic resistance certification, and both the battery performance and rack fully meet the seismic requirements of China's third-generation nuclear power plants. Furthermore, after high-temperature accelerated aging (16.5 years) and abnormal condition and seismic tests, the battery maintains performance rates of over 90% at 24 and 72 hours, far exceeding qualification standards.
Meanwhile, leveraging high-precision, wide-range, full-scale detection technology, Narada has pioneered a multi-dimensional battery remaining life assimilation prediction algorithm, addressing the aging management challenges of valve-controlled batteries and effectively ensuring the long life and reliable operation of Narada's nuclear 1E valve-controlled battery.
Currently, Narada has established the country’s first production line for 4000Ah 1E valve-controlled batteries, with an annual production capacity of 32,000 kVAh, and is now capable of supplying nuclear power projects. Some products have already been piloted at the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant in both nuclear and non-nuclear island areas, and as of now, their operational status is good. The products can also be applied in industrial energy storage, rail transportation, and other scenarios.
Moreover, Wang Yuhan, head of Narada's Power Business Department, mentioned that as early as 2012, another valve-controlled battery model, NM-450, passed certification at the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant K3 and has been used to start emergency diesel engines at the plant. In 2018, the first batch of these batteries completed five years of operation and was safely decommissioned. After dissecting the decommissioned batteries, the structures were intact, and no serious corrosion was found on key components.
Moving forward, Narada will continue to accelerate the market promotion and application of the 1E valve-controlled battery products in nuclear power plants and drive technological advancement in the nuclear power industry.
