THEthird-generationnuclearpowertechnologyindependentlydevelopedbyChinaisasignificantsymbolofChinesemanufacturingcapacity.Thisachievementcomesfromthededicationandpioneeringspiritofthoseworkinginthisfield.AmongthemareWangGuangjinandhisteamattheNuclearPowerInstituteofChina(NPIC).
EndingForeignMonopoly
WangiscurrentlydeputychiefoftheNo.2InstituteoftheNPIC.Uponfinishinghisdoctorateprogramin2005,hejoinedtheNPIC’snuclearreactorresearcharmtodevelopelectricalpenetrationassemblies(EPAs).
“Imajoredinchemicalmachineryinuniversity.BeforeIcametotheNPIC,itsleadershiplearnedthatadeviceusedinpowerstationscouldnotbeproducedlocally.Importswereexpensive,andthenecessarytechnologieswerebarredfromChina.Theinstituteintendedtoworkonit,somyfirsttaskherewastodevelopEPAs,”Wangrecalled.Hisfieldofstudyforthedoctorateprogram–macromolecularmaterials–wasrelevanttothistask,whichrequiredbreakthroughsintheselectionandapplicationofnewmaterials.
Duetotheblockadeonrelevanttechnologiesbyforeigncountriesandlackofreferencedesignsorsamples,Wangandhisteamhadtostartfromscratch,andforgedtheirownwayforwardintheirresearch.
Undertightschedulesandpoorlyequipped,fortwomonthsinthesummerof2007,Wangdrafteddesignsduringthedayandconductedtestsatnightinanelectriccablefactory.Hetookpartineverystepoftheprocess,includingcleaningthemachine,grindingthecrankshaft,andrepeatedlycomparedtheparameters.Tocompletelyremovethecoatingmaterialonit,thecrankshaftmustbecleanedandgroundunderhightemperaturesandwithmanualwork.Onedayasearinghotcrankshaftfelloffthetableintheprocess,withouthesitationWangcaughtitwithhishands,whichcausedasevereburnonhisrighthand.
Afterthreeyearsoftrialanderror,WangandhisteammasteredsixcriticaltechnologieswhicheventuallyledtothedevelopmentofChinesemadeEPAs.Theythenwentontomakemoreinnovationstoupgradethetechnologies,whichequalandinsomeaspects,evenexceedthoseofothercountries.ThismilestoneadvancementiscriticalforChina’sindependentdevelopmentofthethird-andfourthgenerationnuclearpowertechnologies.
InJune2010,ChinesemanufacturedEPAsenteredmassproduction,andbegantosupplydomesticnuclearpowerunits.In2015theywereorderedbyTecnatomofSpain,hencemakingtheirdebutontheEuropeanmarket.InMarch2017theywereupgradedtothethirdgeneration.
FromDevelopmenttoProduction
Manyresearchersfinditdifficulttobringsamplesintoindustrialscaleproduction.AfterthesuccessfuldevelopmentofEPAs,Wangtookontheroleofchieftechnicianfortheirsupplytothemarket,anddedicatedhimselftomanufacturingandproductquality.
Onthebasisofhisexperienceinthedevelopmentstage,Wangmastermindedtheoverallprojectplanningandtechnicalplanning,andworkedoutstandardizedoperationofthewholeprocessofdesign,manufacturing,testing,andqualityassurance.Healsodesignedtrainingcourses,compiledteachingmaterials,andgavelecturestoworkerstoensuretheywouldwellunderstandtheproductdesignanddeliverthebestpossiblequality.What’smore,bycloselymonitoringtheproductionprocessandwidelysolicitingopinionsofrelevantparties,Wangpublished90-plustechnicalpapersondesignoutput,engineeringconstructionandchangecontrol,andseteightcorporatestandardsonproductdesign,manufacturing,testing,andrawmaterials.
DuringthetrialproductionperiodWangspentlonghoursinthefactorytogainfirsthandknowledgeoftheproductionandsolveon-siteproblemsthataroseintheprocess.Hetookeveryproblemseriouslytopreventitfromrecurringafterformalproduction.Inlessthanoneyear,theproductionprocesspassedtheassessmentbyexperts,andstartedcommercialsupplytothemarket.
TheMarathoner’sSpirit
Wangspurredhimselfwiththemarathoner’sspiritinhiswork.Thisspiritofchallengingoneselfandpushingone’slimits,hesaid,isreflectedinChina’sindependentdevelopmentofEPAs.Infact,duringthedevelopmentprocessWangsetupamarathonteam,andbecameitsleader.
“Marathonisknownforitslongdistanceandthegreatenduranceitrequires.Itseemsatedioussportthatisnomorethanthealternatingoftwofeet.Butitisactuallyagameofscience,asonecanonlyrun
thedistanceafterrigorous,scientific,anddedicatedtraining,”saidWang.“Thisisthesamewithmyjob.Withoutdedication,perseverance,scientificplanning,andrigorousimplementation,wecanachievenothing.”
ZhengLanjiang,amemberoftheresearchteamofEPAs,wasWang’steammate.HewasimpressedwithWangbeingscrupulousabouteverydetail.“Herequiredustoseekperfectiononallmatters,bigorsmall.Thisshapedtheworkenvironmentofourteam,”Zhengrecalled.“Animpressiveexampleisthecompilationofahandbookonproductspecifications.Imadeeightroundsofamendmentsbeforehandingitin.AllmembersoftheteamtriedtorefinetheirpaperstothepointthattheycouldansweranyquestionDirectorWangmayaskinthereviewingprocess.”
Themarathoner’sspiritofchallengingoneselfandpursingperfectionhasencouragedWangandhisteamtoaccomplishseeminglyimpossibletasksoneafteranotherinthefieldofnuclearpowerresearchandinnovation.InadditiontoEPAs,theyhavedevelopedanumberofsophisticateddevicesusedinnuclearreactors,suchastheleakagemonitoringsystembasedonleak-before-break(LBB)technology,hydrogenmonitoringsystem,loosepartsmonitoringsystem,vibrationmonitoringsystem,CRDMpowersupplysystem,temperatureandhumidityinstrument,andbroughtthemintomassproduction.Theirmultipletechnicalbreakthroughsledtotheupgradingofrelevantproductsandadoptionofnewmaterialsandnewtechnologies.Sofar,theteamhasreceivedover20patents.
Craftsmanship
RecentlyreceivingthehonoroftheSichuanCraftsman,atitleforpeopleoutstandinginaparticularprofession,Wanghadhisowntakeontheword“craftsmanship.”“Whenpeopletalkofcraftsmanship,itismoreaboutpassingdownthisspiritthroughteachingbywordsanddeeds.Butinmyorganization,whentheteamgrows,weneedproceduralguidanceandinstitutionalrestraintsinadditiontoteachingbywordsanddeedstocreateanenvironmentofperfectionistcraftsmanship.Onlyindoingsocanweensuretheunityoftheteamintermsofprofessionallevel,ethosandmorale.”
Wangrecognizedthatteachingbywordsanddeedsisnecessaryinpromotingcraftsmanship.Butkeepinginmindtherequirementsforemployeesinmodernenterprises,ithastobecombinedwithdueproceduresandinstitutionstofosterthecorporateculturethatcanbringcraftsmanshiptofruition.
“Thesituationofthefieldweareinandthenatureofthenuclearindustrydeterminesthatwecannotsolelyrelyonexperience,”Wangexplained.“Theattitudeofdedicationandconcentrationcanbetaughtbywordsanddeeds,butkeytechnologiesandessentialmatterscannot.Wethereforeneedproceduralguidanceandinstitutionalrestraints.”
Wangisleadinghisteamtomakeinnovationsinthisrespect.“Bycarryingoutthespiritofcraftsmanship,wewillimprovequalitycontrolproceduresandmanagementprocedures.Onemeasurewehaveintroducedthisyearisexperience-basedfeedback.Onceaproblemisspottedinaproduct,itmustbereportedtootherteamsinvolvedintheproject,sothatitwillnothappenagain.Themethodandresultofamendmentshouldalsobesharedbyallrelevantteams.Weneedbothinnovativemanagementandleanmanagement.”CWangGuangjin(center)andhiscolleaguesduringaquality-controltestofakeycomponent.TUTIANisaChinaDailyreporter.