Abstract
Lithium and boron content in the coolant are known to influence the oxidation behaviour of the fuel cladding. Since new PWR operating conditions could consist in an increase of the lithium and the boron concentration in the coolant early in the cycle, a specific study has been conducted to analyze and to predict the effect of such new water chemistry conditions on the oxidation kinetics of the Zircaloy-4 material. Experimental studies have been performed in out-of-pile loop tests, under one and two phase flow heat transfer in various water chemistry conditions (0{<=}Li{<=}350 ppm, 0{<=}B{<=}1000 ppm, 0{<=}K{<=}56 ppm). A simulation of the effect of elevated lithium on the corrosion has been made using the semi-empirical COCHISE corrosion code. Under one phase flow heat transfer conditions, the addition of lithium hydroxide in the coolant increases the oxidation rate, essentially in the post-transition regime for low lithium levels ({<=} 75 ppm) and immediately in the pre-transition phase for very high lithium level (350 ppm). Under two phase flow heat transfer, an enhancement of the corrosion is observed in the area of the rod submitted to boiling. Based on the out-of-pile loop test performed in presence of KOH instead of LiOH, such an enhancement
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Pecheur, D;
Giordano, A;
Picard, E;
Billot, P;
[1]
Thomazet, J
[2]
- CEA Centre d`Etudes de Cadarache, 13 - Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France)
- FRAMATOME, Nuclear Fuel Div., Lyon (France)
Citation Formats
Pecheur, D, Giordano, A, Picard, E, Billot, P, and Thomazet, J.
Effect of elevated lithium on the waterside corrosion of zircaloy-4: Experimental and predictive studies.
IAEA: N. p.,
1997.
Web.
Pecheur, D, Giordano, A, Picard, E, Billot, P, & Thomazet, J.
Effect of elevated lithium on the waterside corrosion of zircaloy-4: Experimental and predictive studies.
IAEA.
Pecheur, D, Giordano, A, Picard, E, Billot, P, and Thomazet, J.
1997.
"Effect of elevated lithium on the waterside corrosion of zircaloy-4: Experimental and predictive studies."
IAEA.
@misc{etde_462438,
title = {Effect of elevated lithium on the waterside corrosion of zircaloy-4: Experimental and predictive studies}
author = {Pecheur, D, Giordano, A, Picard, E, Billot, P, and Thomazet, J}
abstractNote = {Lithium and boron content in the coolant are known to influence the oxidation behaviour of the fuel cladding. Since new PWR operating conditions could consist in an increase of the lithium and the boron concentration in the coolant early in the cycle, a specific study has been conducted to analyze and to predict the effect of such new water chemistry conditions on the oxidation kinetics of the Zircaloy-4 material. Experimental studies have been performed in out-of-pile loop tests, under one and two phase flow heat transfer in various water chemistry conditions (0{<=}Li{<=}350 ppm, 0{<=}B{<=}1000 ppm, 0{<=}K{<=}56 ppm). A simulation of the effect of elevated lithium on the corrosion has been made using the semi-empirical COCHISE corrosion code. Under one phase flow heat transfer conditions, the addition of lithium hydroxide in the coolant increases the oxidation rate, essentially in the post-transition regime for low lithium levels ({<=} 75 ppm) and immediately in the pre-transition phase for very high lithium level (350 ppm). Under two phase flow heat transfer, an enhancement of the corrosion is observed in the area of the rod submitted to boiling. Based on the out-of-pile loop test performed in presence of KOH instead of LiOH, such an enhancement of the corrosion appears to be due to a lithium enrichment in the oxide layer induced by boiling and not to a pH effect. The simulation of the increase of lithium content in the coolant from 2.2 to 3.5 ppm leads to an enhancement in corrosion rates which becomes only significant at high burn up. This predictive result of elevated lithium effect on corrosion is then compared with oxidation data derived from reactors operating under an elevated lithium regime. (author). 14 refs, 9 figs, 3 tabs.}
place = {IAEA}
year = {1997}
month = {Feb}
}
title = {Effect of elevated lithium on the waterside corrosion of zircaloy-4: Experimental and predictive studies}
author = {Pecheur, D, Giordano, A, Picard, E, Billot, P, and Thomazet, J}
abstractNote = {Lithium and boron content in the coolant are known to influence the oxidation behaviour of the fuel cladding. Since new PWR operating conditions could consist in an increase of the lithium and the boron concentration in the coolant early in the cycle, a specific study has been conducted to analyze and to predict the effect of such new water chemistry conditions on the oxidation kinetics of the Zircaloy-4 material. Experimental studies have been performed in out-of-pile loop tests, under one and two phase flow heat transfer in various water chemistry conditions (0{<=}Li{<=}350 ppm, 0{<=}B{<=}1000 ppm, 0{<=}K{<=}56 ppm). A simulation of the effect of elevated lithium on the corrosion has been made using the semi-empirical COCHISE corrosion code. Under one phase flow heat transfer conditions, the addition of lithium hydroxide in the coolant increases the oxidation rate, essentially in the post-transition regime for low lithium levels ({<=} 75 ppm) and immediately in the pre-transition phase for very high lithium level (350 ppm). Under two phase flow heat transfer, an enhancement of the corrosion is observed in the area of the rod submitted to boiling. Based on the out-of-pile loop test performed in presence of KOH instead of LiOH, such an enhancement of the corrosion appears to be due to a lithium enrichment in the oxide layer induced by boiling and not to a pH effect. The simulation of the increase of lithium content in the coolant from 2.2 to 3.5 ppm leads to an enhancement in corrosion rates which becomes only significant at high burn up. This predictive result of elevated lithium effect on corrosion is then compared with oxidation data derived from reactors operating under an elevated lithium regime. (author). 14 refs, 9 figs, 3 tabs.}
place = {IAEA}
year = {1997}
month = {Feb}
}