Versatile Oxide Films Protect FeCrAl Alloys Under Normal Operation and Accident Conditions in Light Water Power Reactors
Abstract
The US has currently a fleet of 99 nuclear power light water reactors which generate approximately 20% of the electricity consumed in the country. Near 90% of the reactors are at least 30 years old. There are incentives to make the existing reactors safer by using accident tolerant fuels (ATF). Compared to the standard UO2–zirconium-based system, ATF need to tolerate loss of active cooling in the core for a considerably longer time while maintaining or improving the fuel performance during normal operation conditions. Ferritic iron-chromium-aluminum (FeCrAl) alloys have been identified as an alter-native to replace current zirconium alloys. They contain Fe (base) + 10–22 Cr + 4–6 Al and may contain smaller amounts of other elements such as molybdenum and traces of others. FeCrAl alloys offer outstanding resistance to attack by superheated steam by developing an alumina oxide on the surface in case of a loss of coolant accident like at Fukushima. FeCrAl alloys also perform well under normal operation conditions both in boiling water reactors and pressurized water reactors because they are protected by a thin oxide rich in chromium. Under normal operation condition, the key element is Cr and under accident conditions it is Al.
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- General Electric Co., Niskayuna, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1511456
- Grant/Contract Number:
- NE0008221
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- JOM. Journal of the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 70; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 1047-4838
- Publisher:
- Springer
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
Citation Formats
Rebak, Raul B. Versatile Oxide Films Protect FeCrAl Alloys Under Normal Operation and Accident Conditions in Light Water Power Reactors. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1007/s11837-017-2705-z.
Rebak, Raul B. Versatile Oxide Films Protect FeCrAl Alloys Under Normal Operation and Accident Conditions in Light Water Power Reactors. United States. doi:10.1007/s11837-017-2705-z.
Rebak, Raul B. Fri .
"Versatile Oxide Films Protect FeCrAl Alloys Under Normal Operation and Accident Conditions in Light Water Power Reactors". United States. doi:10.1007/s11837-017-2705-z. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1511456.
@article{osti_1511456,
title = {Versatile Oxide Films Protect FeCrAl Alloys Under Normal Operation and Accident Conditions in Light Water Power Reactors},
author = {Rebak, Raul B.},
abstractNote = {The US has currently a fleet of 99 nuclear power light water reactors which generate approximately 20% of the electricity consumed in the country. Near 90% of the reactors are at least 30 years old. There are incentives to make the existing reactors safer by using accident tolerant fuels (ATF). Compared to the standard UO2–zirconium-based system, ATF need to tolerate loss of active cooling in the core for a considerably longer time while maintaining or improving the fuel performance during normal operation conditions. Ferritic iron-chromium-aluminum (FeCrAl) alloys have been identified as an alter-native to replace current zirconium alloys. They contain Fe (base) + 10–22 Cr + 4–6 Al and may contain smaller amounts of other elements such as molybdenum and traces of others. FeCrAl alloys offer outstanding resistance to attack by superheated steam by developing an alumina oxide on the surface in case of a loss of coolant accident like at Fukushima. FeCrAl alloys also perform well under normal operation conditions both in boiling water reactors and pressurized water reactors because they are protected by a thin oxide rich in chromium. Under normal operation condition, the key element is Cr and under accident conditions it is Al.},
doi = {10.1007/s11837-017-2705-z},
journal = {JOM. Journal of the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society},
number = 2,
volume = 70,
place = {United States},
year = {2017},
month = {12}
}
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