Radiation buildup and control in BWR recirculation piping

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987 · Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7148320

Meyer, W; Wood, R M; Rao, T V; Vook, R W

Boiling water nuclear reactors (BWRs) employ stainless steel (Types 304 or 316 NG) pipes in which high-purity water at temperatures of approx. 275/sup 0/C are circulated. Various components of the system, such as valves and bearings, often contain hard facing metal alloys such as Stellite-6. These components, along with the stainless steel tubing and feedwater, serve as sources of /sup 59/Co. This cobalt, along with other soluble and insoluble impurities, is carried along with the circulating water to the reactor core where it is converted to radioactive /sup 60/Co. After reentering the circulating water, the /sup 60/Co can be incorporated into a complex corrosion layer in the form of CoCr/sub 2/O/sub 4/ and/or CoFe/sub 2/O/sub 4/. The presence of even small amounts of /sup 60/Co on the walls of BWR cooling systems is the dominant contributor to inplant radiation levels. Thus BWR owners and their agents are expending significant time and resources in efforts to reduce both the rate and amount of /sup 60/Co buildup. The object of this research is twofold: (a) to form a thin diffusion barrier against the outward migration of cobalt from a cobalt-containing surface and (b) to prevent the growth of a /sup 60/Co-containing corrosion film. The latter goal was the more important since most of the radioactive cobalt will originate from sources other than the stainless steel piping itself.

• Research Organization: Syracuse Univ., NY (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7148320
• Report Number(s): CONF-8711195-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States) Journal Volume: 55
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210100* -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Boiling Water Cooled
ACTIVITY LEVELS
ALLOYS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BWR TYPE REACTORS
CHEMISTRY
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CLEANING
COBALT 59
COBALT 60
COBALT ISOTOPES
COOLING SYSTEMS
CORROSION PRODUCTS
CORROSION PROTECTION
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
DECONTAMINATION
DEPOSITION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
FILMS
GOLD
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
METALS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NICKEL
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
PALLADIUM
PLATINUM METALS
PRIMARY COOLANT CIRCUITS
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS
REACTOR CORES
REACTORS
STABLE ISOTOPES
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TUBES
WATER CHEMISTRY
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES