Theoretical Estimation of Crack Growth Rates in Type 304 Stainless Steel in Boiling-Water Reactor Coolant Environments

Macdonald, Digby D.; Lu, P.C.; Urquidi‐Macdonald, Mirna; Yeh, Tsung‐Kuang

doi:10.5006/1.3292070

Cited by 78 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…More detailed descriptions about foregoing three models can be found in the literature. [4][5][6][7][8] Only theories pertinent to the power uprate simulation and ECP calculation are discussed in this paper.…”

Section: Modeling Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Power Uprate on the Water Chemistry in the Primary Coolant Circuit of a Boiling Water Reactor Operating under a Fixed Core Flow Rate

WANG

Yeh

2008

J. Nucl. Sci. Technol.

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The approach of power uprate has been adopted by the utilities of light water reactors over the past few decades in order to increase the power generation efficiency of a nuclear reactor. Upon a power uprate, the power density of a nuclear reactor would change immediately, followed by water chemistry variations due to the enhanced radiolysis of water in the core and near-core regions. For commercial boiling water reactors (BWRs), it is currently a common practice to adopt hydrogen water chemistry (HWC) for corrosion mitigation. The optimal hydrogen injection rate may require a proper adjustment after a power uprate is practiced in a BWR. A DEMACE computer code was used in the current study to investigate the impact of various power uprate levels on major radiolytic species concentrations and the electrochemical corrosion potential (ECP) behavior of components in the primary coolant circuit of a domestic BWR operating under either normal water chemistry or HWC. The results of our analysis indicated that the chemical species concentrations and ECP did not vary monotonically with increases in reactor power level at a fixed feedwater hydrogen concentration. In particular, the upper plenum and upper downcomer regions exhibited uniquely higher ECPs at a 102% power level than at the other evaluated power levels. The impact of power uprate on the water chemistry in the primary coolant circuit of a BWR is expected to vary from location to location and eventually from plant to plant due to different degrees of radiolysis and physical dimensions.

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Section: Modeling Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Power Uprate on the Water Chemistry in the Primary Coolant Circuit of a Boiling Water Reactor Operating under a Fixed Core Flow Rate

WANG

Yeh

2008

J. Nucl. Sci. Technol.

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“…Figure 1: Schematic of the origin of the coupling current in SCC. The coupling current is arises because of differential aeration and the conservation of charge requires that the electron current flowing from the crack to the external surface must be equal to the positive ionic current flowing through the solution from the crack to the external surface [1,2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The DAH dictates that localized corrosion (including SCC) occurs only so long as spatial separation between a local anode and a local cathode is maintained. The DA hypothesis, which was first articulated more than eighty years ago, is the theoretical basis of the various "coupled environment" models, including the Coupled Environment Fracture Model (CEFM), that have been developed by the author and his colleagues [1][2][3][4][5][6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The mechanism of stress corrosion cracking in sensitized austenitic stainless steels in nuclear power reactor heat transport circuits

Macdonald

Shi

2014

2014 IEEE Conference on Technologies for Sustainability (SusTech)

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Extensive work over almost the past hundred years has suggested that the stress corrosion cracking of metals and alloys in aqueous environments is primarily an electrochemical phenomenon falling within the realm of the differential aeration hypothesis (DAH). An important feature of the DAH is that the local anode and the local cathode are spatially separated, with the former existing within the crack enclave (on the crack flanks and at the crack tip) and the latter existing on the bold, external surfaces. Because of the need to compensate the positive charge being deposited into the crack cavity from metal dissolution, anions (e.g, Cl -) are transported into the crack, a process that is manifest as a positive current flowing from the crack to the external surfaces, where it is consumed by hydrogen ion, water, and/or oxygen reduction. Thus, strong electrochemical coupling exists between the crack internal and external surfaces and this coupling has been observed in stress corrosion cracking in a variety of systems, including IGSCC in sensitized Type 304 SS in simulated BWR coolant environments at 288C. Examination of this "coupling current" shows that it contains "structured" noise superimposed upon a mean. In the case of the sensitized stainless steel in the high temperature aqueous environment, the mean current is found to be linearly related to the crack propagation rate. Furthermore, the noise in the current is found to yield a wealth of information on the fracture events that occur at the crack tip, including their frequency, temporal relationship with other events, and size. This information has provided a clearer view of the fracture mechanisms.

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“…In principle, it is a mechanico-electrochemical process since both IASCC initiation and propagation depend on the stresses and the local environment to which the components are exposed. For boiling water reactors (BWR) it has been reported extensively [3][4][5] that in cracks and crevices the local environment can deviate significantly from the bulk environment. This deviation is brought about by the occluded region's geometry and the nature of the electrode kinetics.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental measurements and numerical simulations to evaluate the electrode kinetics for 316 stainless steel under PWR-relevant conditions

Vankeerberghen¹,

Gavrilov²

2008

Journal of Nuclear Materials

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Theoretical Estimation of Crack Growth Rates in Type 304 Stainless Steel in Boiling-Water Reactor Coolant Environments

Cited by 78 publications

References 11 publications

Impact of Power Uprate on the Water Chemistry in the Primary Coolant Circuit of a Boiling Water Reactor Operating under a Fixed Core Flow Rate

Impact of Power Uprate on the Water Chemistry in the Primary Coolant Circuit of a Boiling Water Reactor Operating under a Fixed Core Flow Rate

The mechanism of stress corrosion cracking in sensitized austenitic stainless steels in nuclear power reactor heat transport circuits

Experimental measurements and numerical simulations to evaluate the electrode kinetics for 316 stainless steel under PWR-relevant conditions

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