Is there a solution to mitigate corrosion in a PWR Steam Generator without replacing it?

The solutions are as followsCHEMISTRY CONTROL Corrosion damage in PWR steam generators can be avoided by eliminating the ingress of chemicals or by lowering their concentration, i.e., control of the local chemistry. The following describe various methods to control the chemistry for steam generators. 1. Deoxygenation of Secondary Water System The fact that oxygen in present in the secondary plant water and systems both during plant shutdown periods and during operation is significant in studying the corrosion process. This oxygen contributes to sludge formation in the steam generators by corroding secondary plant piping and components. Oxygen also directly corrodes steam generator internal parts and may also directly cause denting. Because current plant designs and operating procedures make it difficult to eliminate oxygen from the secondary plants development work is needed in this area. 2. Chemical Cleaning Utilities that have either incipient denting or moderately dented units have considered cleaning the affected units with chemicals. Experience with the cleaning process itself (solvents, inhibitors, conditions) and its side effects is still limited. Chemical cleaning processes have been somewhat successful in removing steam-generator sludge that is high (up to 50%) in copper content. 3. All-Volatile Treatment (AVT) Chemistry Denting continues to occur in recirculating steam generators even though chloride levels are low, which indicates that drilled carbon-steel support plates are susceptible to accelerated corrosion when AVT chemistry is used. Extraordinary measures in both operation and chemistry control may be required in such units to avoid denting. 4. Neutralization of Crevice Acids Crevice acids and, in particular, acid-chlorides have been identified as media that cause denting. Therefore, it is thought that denting can be stopped or reduced if the crevice acid is neutralized by adding a base. If the pores are plugged, acid chlorides cannot penetrate the crevice magnetite and the reaction will be stopped because the corrodent is limited. Boric acid is the pore-plugging agent of choice. Sodium phosphates and boric acid, chemicals used for the near-term remedy of denting, have shown the most promise in the laboratory capsule, heated crevice, and pot/model tests.

MECHANICAL MODIFICATION Many plants have installed or plan to install either deep-bed or precoat condensate polishers. Full-flow condensate polishing systems can reduce the impurities that enter the steam generator from the condensate system and thus avoid or reduce denting. Such systems can provide a degree of protection from limited leakage of cooling water into the condensers. Recent information from operating plants indicates that very low levels of impurities in boiler water (<50 ppb chlorides) can cause denting in seawater plants that use AVT. The use of condensate polishers may be necessary in such plants if denting is to be prevented. Additionally, they act as filters, both before startup and during operation, by removing insoluble corrosion products which would otherwise be deposited as sludge in the steam generators. Laboratory tests to quantify the benefits and potential side effects that result from operating with condensate polishers are underway. Preliminary results indicate that resin specification and quality control, improved resin regeneration procedures, and proper monitoring are required.

OPERATIONAL PROCEDURE Impurity (i.e., chloride, sulphate, silica, calcium, magnesium, etc.) concentration in crevices can be reduced by operating at reduced power and by performing water soaks. At some level of reduced power, the cycle of wetting and drying in the crevices may be so reduced that the crevice stays wet. If this is the case, impurities diffuse out of the crevices into the bulk fluid and are removed from the steam generator by blowdown. The power level at which this occurs varies from plant to plant and probably from crevice to crevice within the same steam generator. REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT OPTIONS To sustain operability over plant lifetime, the ability to maintain and upgrade nuclear steam generators is desirable. The available methods include plugging tubes, replacing the lower shell and tube-bundle assembly, retubing, and replacing entire steam generators. Plugging is the first step in maintaining the service availability of a steam generator when the tube integrity is questioned. The second step is retubing, a systematic process developed for the in-situ replacement of the tubing in PWR recirculating steam generators. The alternative to retubing is replacing the lower shell and tube bundle assembly. The very last step to keep the power plant operating is to replace the whole steam generator when the number of plugged tubes in the steam generator exceeds a certain limit (usually 30% of the entire generator tubing) or when retubing is no longer economical. Replacing a steam generator is costly and needs to be thoroughly planned.