Engineers from SPbPU and OKBM Join Forces for Russia’s Proryv Project

A Roadmap for Proryv

The Central Design Bureau of Machine Building – OKBM, part of Rosatom’s Machine-Building Division – and the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU have signed an agreement to deploy digital solutions in the development of equipment for the strategic Proryv (Breakthrough) project.

Work is under way on the Pilot Demonstration Energy Complex – ODEK – located in the closed city of Seversk in Tomsk Region at the site of the Siberian Chemical Combine.

The university’s engineering talent pool brings strong expertise in digital engineering, which is critical to project delivery. The partnership is intended to accelerate the development of highly reliable equipment for next-generation nuclear power while giving students direct access to advanced engineering challenges in the sector.

Modelling and Digital Twins

One of the immediate priorities for the engineering teams is the development of technical designs for containers used in the nuclear fuel handling complex at ODEK. These components are essential for the closed fuel cycle of the fast neutron reactor, a core element of the Proryv programme.

Digital design tools will allow engineers to simulate container performance under extreme conditions before a physical prototype is manufactured. This approach reduces the risk of costly redesigns during production and ensures compliance with the nuclear industry’s stringent safety requirements.

The parties will also focus on creating digital twins of centrifugal pumps, one of the most heavily loaded components within the energy complex. The virtual replica will accumulate operational data across the entire lifecycle of the equipment, from design and installation through operation and maintenance.

Digital modelling of pump systems will enable precise measurement and validation of key parameters in finished products. Engineers will be able to optimise performance characteristics at the design stage, reducing the likelihood of defects emerging during testing or later in service.

For our students, this is a unique opportunity to participate in solving frontier engineering challenges for active projects, to master digital tools in practice and to prepare for careers in leading nuclear companies. This cooperation demonstrates how applied university science and industry can work together to secure technological leadership and shape the future of high-tech manufacturing

Alexei Borovkov

Head of the Advanced Engineering School “Digital Engineering” at SPbPU

A Virtual Test Bench

The creation of a virtual test bench will eliminate the need for repeated physical trials of equipment. Through high-fidelity computer simulation, the system will conduct thousands of virtual tests within hours, modelling accident scenarios, extreme temperatures and a wide range of off-normal operating conditions. This capability is expected to shorten development timelines for new components several times over.

Mathematical modelling delivers reliable results without risking damage to high-value equipment. In the nuclear sector, each physical test on a real test stand can cost millions of rubles, making digital validation particularly valuable. Virtual trials identify design vulnerabilities before equipment leaves the design bureau.

Predictive Maintenance

In the longer term, digital twins will enable predictive reliability management. The system will analyse real-time sensor data – including vibration, temperature and pressure – allowing algorithms to forecast component wear and flag potential failures weeks or even months in advance.

This approach supports planned maintenance rather than emergency shutdowns. For a nuclear power plant, each hour of downtime represents substantial financial loss and introduces additional operational risk. Predictive maintenance therefore has a direct impact on both economic performance and personnel safety.

A New Generation of Engineers

The cooperation between OKBM and SPbPU includes workforce development through the master’s programme “Digital Engineering”. Students will work in a joint laboratory designing equipment for ODEK. These are not academic exercises but real engineering assignments with defined timelines and technical specifications.

Such an approach produces specialists ready to work with advanced digital tools from the first day of employment. For the nuclear industry, this represents a strategically important talent pipeline. Young engineers are expected to underpin Russia’s technological leadership in nuclear machine building over the coming decade.