Modelling the Behaviour of Corrosion Products in the Primary Heat Transfer Circuits of Pressurised Water Reactors. A Review of Principles

摘要

The redistribution of corrosion products from the primary circuit surfaces of a water reactor can result in increased flow resistance, poorer heat transfer performance, fuel failure and radioactive contamination of circuit surfaces. The environment is generally sufficiently well controlled to ensure that the first three effects are not limiting. The last effect is of particular importance since radioactive corrosion products are major contributors to shutdown fields and since it is necessary to ensure that the radiation exposure of personnel is as low as reasonably achievable. This review focuses attention on the principles which must form the basis for any mechanistic model describing the formation, transport and deposition of radioactive corrosion products. It is relevant to all water reactors in which the primary heat transfer medium is predominantly single-phase water and in which steam is generated in a secondary circuit, i.e. including CANDU pressurised heavy water reactors, Soviet VVERs, etc. (Atomindex citation 17:017335)