An UkrNS educational project for schoolchildren “How a nuclear power plant works”

The UkrNS separate subdivision in the satellite city of the South Ukraine NPP Yuzhnoukrainsk has launched a new educational project for schoolchildren “How a nuclear power plant works”.

The goal of the project is to increase trust among schoolchildren in the use of nuclear energy, as well as inform young people about the main production processes taking place at nuclear power plants. Such projects are also implemented among schoolchildren for career guidance purposes – to encourage them to consider the possibility of higher education in nuclear fields.

Seventh grade students from Yuzhnoukrainsk schools and lyceums are the first to participate in the project. The authors of the project plan to scale up their idea and hold competitions among schoolchildren in a 30 km zone around other Ukrainian nuclear power plants.

The project is implemented in the format of dynamic mini-games, which are an interpretation of real production processes at nuclear power plants. In particular, these are such as “Construction of a nuclear power plant”, “Installation of pipelines”, “Loading of nuclear fuel”, “Spin the turbine!”, “Connection to the power system”. Mini-models of nuclear power plant equipment were developed and manufactured especially for the competition.

During the event, the participating teams receive brief information from the presenters about each game, in particular about how the construction of a nuclear power plant occurs, about the methods of connecting and fastening the pipelines of a nuclear power plant, how nuclear fuel is loaded, about the operation of turbines, about the schemes and types of open switchgears at the nuclear power plant, and then quickly complete small practical tasks for each block of information.

For example, during the game “Loading Nuclear Fuel”, participants use mock-ups to simulate the process of loading improvised fuel rods into an improvised reactor: with the help of coordinated team actions, participants control the contents of the cargo (fuel rods) and its release. Upon completion of the mini-games, teams also undergo a short test on the topics of the event. Teams gain points for completed tasks and test results.

The winners of the game receive prizes, and all participants receive souvenirs from the organizers. The first games have already received positive feedback from schoolchildren and great interest in the operation of nuclear power plants.