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Sample records for steam oxidation behaviour

  1. Investigation on steam oxidation behaviour of TP347H FG Part I Exposure at 256 bar

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jianmin, J; Montgomery, Melanie; Larsen, OH

    2005-01-01

    with the aforementioned steel in coal-fired boilers and this paper focuses on the steam oxidation behaviour for specimens tested at various metal temperatures for exposure times of 7700, 23000 and 30000 hours as investigated by light optical and scanning electron microscopy. The oxide present on the specimens is a duplex......The stainless steel TP347H FG is a candidate material for the final stage tubing of superheater and reheater sections of ultra supercritical boilers operated at steam temperatures up to 620C in the mild corrosion environments of coal-firing. A series of field tests has been conducted...... oxide, where the outer layer consists of two sub-layers, an iron oxide layer and an iron-nickel oxide layer; the inner layer is chromium rich chromium-iron-nickel oxide. Microstructure examination showed that for all these samples the varying grain size of subsurface metal affected the oxide thickness...

  2. Long term steam oxidation of TP 347H FG in power plants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansson, Anette Nørgaard; Korcakova, Leona; Hald, John

    2005-01-01

    The long term oxidation behaviour of TP 347H FG at ultra supercritical steam conditions was assessed by exposing the steel in test superheater loops in a Danish coal-fired power plant. The steamside oxide layer was investigated with scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive Xray diffract......The long term oxidation behaviour of TP 347H FG at ultra supercritical steam conditions was assessed by exposing the steel in test superheater loops in a Danish coal-fired power plant. The steamside oxide layer was investigated with scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive Xray...

  3. Oxidation behaviour of titanium in high temperature steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moroishi, Taishi; Shida, Yoshiaki

    1978-01-01

    The oxidation of pure titanium was studied in superheated steam at 400 -- 550 0 C. The effects of prior cold working and several heat treatment conditions on the oxidation were examined and also the effects of the addition of small amounts of iron and oxygen were investigated. The oxidation mechanism of pure titanium is discussed in relation to the scale structure and the oxidation kinetics. Hydrogen absorption rate was also measured. As a result, the following conclusions were drawn: (1) The oxidation of pure titanium in steam was faster than in air and breakaway oxidation was observed above 500 0 C after the specimen had gained a certain weight. Prior cold working and heat treatment conditions scarcely affected the oxidation rate, whereas the specimen containing small amounts of iron and oxygen showed a little more rapid oxidation. (2) At 500 and 550 0 C a dark grey inner scale and a yellow-brown outer scale were formed. The outer scale was apt to exfoliate after the occurrence of breakaway oxidation. At 400 and 450 0 C only a dark grey scale was observed. All of these oxides were identified as the rutile type, TiO 2 . Furthermore, the presence of a thin and uniform oxygen rich layer beneath the external scale was confirmed at all test temperatures. (3) The measured weight gain approximately followed the cubic rate law; this would be expected for the following reason; one component of the weight gain is due to the dissolved oxygen, the amount of which remains constant after the early stages of oxidation. The second component is due to the parabolic growth of the external TiO 2 scale. When these contributions are added a pseudo-cubic weight gain curve results. (4) It was shown that 50 percent of the hydrogen generated during the oxidation was absorbed into the metal. (auth.)

  4. High temperature behaviour of E110G and E110 fuel claddings in various mixtures of steam and air

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perez-Feró, Erzsébet; Novotny, Tamás; Horváth, Márta; Kunstár, Mihály; Vér, Nóra; Hózer, Zoltán

    2014-01-01

    Experiments with sponge base E110G and the traditional E110 were carried out to compare the oxidation kinetics of these alloys in steam, in hydrogen rich steam, in steam-air and in air atmosphere and to study the effect of hydrogen- and nitrogen-containing environment on the oxidation. The effect of oxidizing atmosphere on the mechanical behaviour of the claddings was also investigated. The new and the traditional types of cladding rings were oxidised at high temperature (600°C – 1200°C). Oxidation of both alloys in steam-air mixture and in air atmosphere resulted in faster oxidation kinetics compared to steam. In many cases bumpy, porous oxide layer have been found. The presence of hydrogen in the steam atmosphere had no significant effect on the oxidation kinetics. Comparing the two alloys, more favourable behaviour of oxidised E110G was observed regarding the oxidation kinetics, breakaway oxidation and load bearing capability in all cases. (author)

  5. Oxidation behaviour of titanium in high temperature steam

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moroishi, T; Shida, Y [Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd., Amagasaki, Hyogo (Japan). Central Research Labs.

    1978-03-01

    The oxidation of pure titanium was studied in superheated steam at 400 -- 550/sup 0/C. The effects of prior cold working and several heat treatment conditions on the oxidation were examined and also the effects of the addition of small amounts of iron and oxygen were investigated. The oxidation mechanism of pure titanium is discussed in relation to the scale structure and the oxidation kinetics. Hydrogen absorption rate was also measured. As a result, the following conclusions were drawn: (1) The oxidation of pure titanium in steam was faster than in air and breakaway oxidation was observed above 500/sup 0/C after the specimen had gained a certain weight. Prior cold working and heat treatment conditions scarcely affected the oxidation rate, whereas the specimen containing small amounts of iron and oxygen showed a little more rapid oxidation. (2) At 500 and 550/sup 0/C a dark grey inner scale and a yellow-brown outer scale were formed. The outer scale was apt to exfoliate after the occurrence of breakaway oxidation. At 400 and 450/sup 0/C only a dark grey scale was observed. All of these oxides were identified as the rutile type, TiO/sub 2/. Furthermore, the presence of a thin and uniform oxygen rich layer beneath the external scale was confirmed at all test temperatures. (3) The measured weight gain approximately followed the cubic rate law; this would be expected for the following reason; one component of the weight gain is due to the dissolved oxygen, the amount of which remains constant after the early stages of oxidation. The second component is due to the parabolic growth of the external TiO/sub 2/ scale. When these contributions are added a pseudo-cubic weight gain curve results. (4) It was shown that 50 percent of the hydrogen generated during the oxidation was absorbed into the metal.

  6. Microstructural investigation of the oxide formed on TP 347H FG during long-term steam oxidation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansson, Anette Nørgaard; Danielsen, Hilmar Kjartansson; Grumsen, Flemming Bjerg

    2010-01-01

    The long-term oxidation behaviour of TP347H FG in ultra supercritical steam conditions was assessed by exposing the steel in test superheater loops in a Danish coal-fired power plant and characterising the oxide layer with reflective light and electron microscopy. Double layered oxide scales formed...... during steam oxidation. TEM investigations reveal that the inner oxide layer consists of particles of metallic Ni/Fe and Fe-Cr spinel in the interior of the former alloy grains and a compact layer of Fe-Cr spinel and Cr2O3 along the former alloy grain boundaries. The morphology suggests that the inner...

  7. Modelling of UO2 oxidation in steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brito, A.C.; Iglesias, F.C.; Liu, Y.

    1996-01-01

    A computer model has been developed for calculating oxidation of UO 2 at high temperatures in steam oxidising conditions. Several methods to calculate the partial pressure of oxygen in the fuel and in the environment surrounding the fuel are available. The various methodologies have been compared and the best models have been compiled into a computer model which will be implemented into fuel thermal/mechanical behaviour codes such as FACTAR 2.0 (LOECI) and ELESIM/ELOCA. Calculations from the computer model have been compared to experimental results. The calculated oxidation reaction kinetics are in good agreement with the experimental data. (author)

  8. The effect of steam oxidation on the strain of fuel sheathing at high temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hunt, C.E.L.; Foote, D.E.; Grant, D.

    1976-08-01

    The current work extends previous data to include the effects of a steam atmosphere on the strain behaviour of fuel sheathing. At a heating rate of 25 deg C s -1 steam had little effect on the results at hoop stresses of 12 MPa because the time available for oxidation was too short. At 6 MPa hoop stress there was a marked difference between steam and vacuum results. The evidence suggests that, provided no cracks develop, the growing oxide and/or the oxygen stabilized α-phase zirconium layers rapidly take up the load as their combined thickness increases from 6 to about 30 μm. (author)

  9. Internal oxidation as a mechanism for steam generator tube degradation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gendron, T.S. [Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Chalk River, Ontario (Canada); Scott, P.M. [Framatome, Paris (France); Bruemmer, S.M. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA (United States); Thomas, L.E. [Washington State Univ., School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Pullman, WA (United States)

    1999-12-01

    Internal oxidation has been proposed as a plausible mechanism for intergranular stress-corrosion cracking (IGSCC) of alloy 600 steam generator tubing. This theory can reconcile the main thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics of the observed cracking in hydrogenated primary water. Although secondary-side IG attack or IGSCC is commonly attributed to the presence of strong, caustic or acidic solutions, more recent evidence suggests that this degradation takes place in a near neutral environment, possibly dry polluted steam. As a result, internal oxidation is also a feasible mechanism for secondary side degradation. The present paper reviews experimental work conducted in an attempt to determine the validity of this mechanism. The consequences for the expected behaviour of alloys 690 and 800 replacement materials are also described. (author)

  10. Internal oxidation as a mechanism for steam generator tube degradation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gendron, T.S. [Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Chalk River, Ontario (Canada); Scott, P.M. [Framatome, Paris (France); Bruemmer, S.M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab., Richland, Washington (United States); Thomas, L.E. [Washington State Univ., School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Pullman, WA (United States)

    1998-07-01

    Internal oxidation has been proposed as a plausible mechanism for intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) of alloy 600 steam generator tubing. This theory can reconcile the main thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics of the observed cracking in hydrogenated primary water. Although secondary side IG attack or IGSCC is commonly attributed to the presence of strong caustic or acidic solutions, more recent evidence suggests that this degradation takes place in a near-neutral environment, possibly dry polluted steam. As a result, internal oxidation is also a feasible mechanism for secondary side degradation. The present paper reviews experimental work carried out in an attempt to determine the validity of this mechanism. The consequences for the expected behaviour of alloys 690 and 800 replacement materials are also described. (author)

  11. Internal oxidation as a mechanism for steam generator tube degradation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gendron, T.S.; Scott, P.M.; Bruemmer, S.M.; Thomas, L.E.

    1998-01-01

    Internal oxidation has been proposed as a plausible mechanism for intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) of alloy 600 steam generator tubing. This theory can reconcile the main thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics of the observed cracking in hydrogenated primary water. Although secondary side IG attack or IGSCC is commonly attributed to the presence of strong caustic or acidic solutions, more recent evidence suggests that this degradation takes place in a near-neutral environment, possibly dry polluted steam. As a result, internal oxidation is also a feasible mechanism for secondary side degradation. The present paper reviews experimental work carried out in an attempt to determine the validity of this mechanism. The consequences for the expected behaviour of alloys 690 and 800 replacement materials are also described. (author)

  12. High-temperature oxidation of Zircaloy in hydrogen-steam mixtures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chung, H.M.; Thomas, G.R.

    1982-09-01

    Oxidation rates of Zircaloy-4 cladding tubes have been measured in hydrogen-steam mixtures at 1200 to 1700 0 C. For a given isothermal oxidation temperature, the oxide layer thicknesses have been measured as a function of time, steam supply rate, and hydrogen overpressure. The oxidation rates in the mixtures were compared with similar data obtained in pure steam and helium-steam environments under otherwise identical conditions. The rates in pure steam and helium-steam mixtures were equivalent and comparable to the parabolic rates obtained under steam-saturated conditions and reported in the literature. However, when the helium was replaced with hydrogen of equivalent partial pressure, a significantly smaller oxidation rate was observed. For high steam-supply rates, the oxidation kinetics in a hydrogen-steam mixture were parabolic, but the rate was smaller than for pure steam or helium-steam mixtures. Under otherwise identical conditions, the ratio of the parabolic rate for hydrogen-steam to that for pure steam decreased with increasing temperature and decreasing steam-supply rate

  13. Steam oxidation of X20CrMoV121: Comparison of laboratory exposures and in situ exposure in power plants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Montgomery, M.; Hansson, A. N.; Vilhelmsen, T.

    2012-01-01

    X20CrMoV121 is a 12% Cr martensitic steel which has been used in power plants in Europe for many decades. Specimens have been removed from superheater tubes to investigate long‐term exposure with respect to steam oxidation. These tubes have been exposed for various durations up to 135 000 h...... in power plants in Denmark at steam temperatures varying from 450–565 °C. This paper collates the data, compares oxide morphologies and assesses to what extent parabolic kinetics can be used to describe the oxidation rate. The steam oxidation behaviour has been investigated in the laboratory in an Ar‐46%H2...

  14. Steam Assisted Accelerated Growth of Oxide Layer on Aluminium Alloys

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Din, Rameez Ud; Yuksel, Serkan; Jellesen, Morten Stendahl

    2013-01-01

    Corrosion resistance of aluminium alloys is related to the composition and morphology of the oxide film on the surface of aluminium. In this paper we investigated the use of steam on the surface modification of aluminium to produce boehmite films. The study reveals a detailed investigation...... of the effect of vapour pressure, structure of intermetallic particles and thickness of boehmite films on the corrosion behaviour of aluminium alloys....

  15. High pressure oxidation of sponge-Zr in steam/hydrogen mixtures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Y.S.

    1997-01-01

    A thermogravimetric apparatus for operation in 1 and 70 atm steam-hydrogen or steam-helium mixtures was used to investigate the oxidation kinetics of sponge-Zr containing 215 ppm Fe. Weight-gain rates, reflecting both oxygen and hydrogen uptake, were measured in the temperature range 350-400 C. The specimens consisted of thin sponge-Zr layers metallurgically bonded to a Zircaloy disk. The edges of the disk specimens were coated with a thin layer of pure gold to avoid the deleterious effect of corners. Following each experiment, the specimens were examined metallographically to reveal the morphology of the oxide and/or hydride formed. Two types of oxide, one black and uniform and the other white and nodular, were observed on sponge-Zr surfaces oxidized in steam environments at 70 atm. The oxidation rate when white-nodular oxide formed was a factor of two higher than that of black-uniform oxide at 400 C for steam contents above 1 mol%. The oxidation rate was independent of total pressure, the carrier gas (H 2 or He) and steam content above ∝1 mol%. The oxidation kinetics of sponge-Zr follows a linear law for maximum reaction times up to ∝6 days. The oxidation rate in steam-hydrogen mixtures at 70 atm total pressure decreases when the steam content approaches the steam-starved region (∝0.5 mol% steam at 400 C and ∝0.02 mol% steam at 350 C). Lower steam concentrations cause massive hydriding of the specimens. Even at steam concentrations above the critical value, direct hydrogen absorption from the gas was manifest by hydrogen pickup fractions greater than unity. (orig.)

  16. Oxidation of zircaloy-2 in high temperature steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ikeda, Seiichi; Ito, Goro; Ohashi, Shigeo

    1975-01-01

    Oxidation tests were conducted for zircaloy-2 in steam at temperature ranging from 900 to 1300 0 C to clarify its oxidation kinetics as a nuclear fuel cladding materials in case of a loss-of-coolant accident. The influence of maximum temperature and heating rate of the specimen on its oxidation rate in steam was investigated. The changes in mechanical properties of the specimens after oxidation tests are also studied. The results obtained were summarized as follows: (1) The weight of the specimen after oxidation in steam increased two times as the time required to reach the maximum temperature increased from 1 to 10 mins. (2) The kinetics of oxidation of zircaloy-2 in steam were not affected by the difference in the surface condition before test such as chemical polishing or pre-oxidation in steam. (3) The dominant growth of oxide film on the surface of zircaloy-2 was observed at the initial stage of oxidation in steam. However, the thickness of oxygen-rich solid solution layer under the film increased gradually with the progress of oxidation and the ratio of oxygen in oxide to that in solid solution has a constant value of 8:2. (4) The breakaway took place only in the specimen subjected to 900 0 C repeated heating. This penomenon was caused by the local growth of the oxide below a crack of the oxide film resulting from the reheating of the specimen. (5) The results of bending tests showed that the deflection until fracture of the specimen was smaller for the one heated at a higher temperature even if the weight increase was of the same order of magnitude for both specimens. (6) It was concluded that the ductility of zircaloy-2 decreased remarkably at a heating temperature in excess of 1100 0 C for more than 5 min. (auth.)

  17. PACTEL: Experiments on the behaviour of the new horizontal steam generator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kouhia, J.; Riikonen, V.; Purhonen, H. [VTT Energy, Lappeenranta (Finland)

    1995-12-31

    Experiments were performed to study the behaviour of the PACTEL facility, a medium scale integral test loop simulating VVER 440 pressurized water reactors. The study focused on the operation of the new horizontal steam generator model installed in PACTEL. Three experiments were conducted: a small-break test to observe the steam generator behaviour over a range of primary coolant inventories, a hot leg loop seal experiment to study the cyclic behaviour of a loop seal and a loss of secondary side feedwater test to examine the effect of uncovered tubes in the steam generator. A reverse flow was observed in the lower part of the U-tube bundle of the steam generator during natural circulation. The flow reversal point dropped when the tubes uncovered, during secondary inventory reduction. (orig.). 5 refs.

  18. PACTEL: Experiments on the behaviour of the new horizontal steam generator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kouhia, J; Riikonen, V; Purhonen, H [VTT Energy, Lappeenranta (Finland)

    1996-12-31

    Experiments were performed to study the behaviour of the PACTEL facility, a medium scale integral test loop simulating VVER 440 pressurized water reactors. The study focused on the operation of the new horizontal steam generator model installed in PACTEL. Three experiments were conducted: a small-break test to observe the steam generator behaviour over a range of primary coolant inventories, a hot leg loop seal experiment to study the cyclic behaviour of a loop seal and a loss of secondary side feedwater test to examine the effect of uncovered tubes in the steam generator. A reverse flow was observed in the lower part of the U-tube bundle of the steam generator during natural circulation. The flow reversal point dropped when the tubes uncovered, during secondary inventory reduction. (orig.). 5 refs.

  19. Investigation of steam oxidation behaviour of TP347H FG Part 2: Exposure at 91 bar

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jianmin, J; Montgomery, Melanie; Larsen, OH

    2005-01-01

    Tube specimens of TP347FG were exposed in a test superheater loop in a biomass plant in Denmark. The specimens were exposed to surface metal temperatures in the range of 455-568C, steam pressure of 91 bar and exposure duration of 3500 and 8700 hours. The oxide thickness and morphology was investi......Tube specimens of TP347FG were exposed in a test superheater loop in a biomass plant in Denmark. The specimens were exposed to surface metal temperatures in the range of 455-568C, steam pressure of 91 bar and exposure duration of 3500 and 8700 hours. The oxide thickness and morphology...

  20. Steam Oxidation Testing in the Severe Accident Test Station

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pint, Bruce A. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2017-08-01

    After the March 2011 accident at Fukushima Daiichi, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) began conducting high temperature steam oxidation testing of candidate materials for accident tolerant fuel (ATF) cladding in August 2011 [1-11]. The ATF concept is to enhance safety margins in light water reactors (LWR) during severe accident scenarios by identifying materials with 100× slower steam oxidation rates compared to current Zr-based alloys. In 2012, the ORNL laboratory equipment was expanded and made available to the entire ATF community as the Severe Accident Test Station (SATS) [4,12]. Compared to the current UO2/Zr-based alloy fuel system, an ATF alternative would significantly reduce the rate of heat and hydrogen generation in the core during a coolant-limited severe accident [13-14]. The steam oxidation behavior of candidate materials is a key metric in the evaluation of ATF concepts and also an important input into models [15-17]. However, initial modeling work of FeCrAl cladding has used incomplete information on the physical properties of FeCrAl. Also, the steam oxidation data being collected at 1200°-1700°C is unique as no prior work has considered steam oxidation of alloys at such high temperatures. Also, because many accident scenarios include steadily increasing temperatures, the required data are not traditional isothermal exposures but exposures with varying “ramp” rates. In some cases, the steam oxidation behavior has been surprising and difficult to interpret. Thus, more fundamental information continues to be collected. In addition, more work continues to focus on commercially-manufactured tube material. This report summarizes recent work to characterize the behavior of candidate alloys exposed to high temperature steam, evaluate steam oxidation behavior in various ramp scenarios and continue to collect integral data on FeCrAl compared to conventional Zr-based cladding.

  1. Steam oxidation of 9-12%Cr steels. Critical evaluation and implications for practical application

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zurek, J.; Quadakkers, W.J. [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (DE). Inst. fuer Energieforschung (IEF); Bruycker, E. de; Huysmans, S. [Laborelec, Linkebeek (Belgium)

    2010-07-01

    In new and future generation Power Plants, creep resistant steels selected for high-temperature components are subjected to a large variety of service environments. In many of these applications, water vapor has been found to substantially alter the technologically relevant properties mainly growth rate and adherence, of the surface oxides. Various data sets exist in the literature for steam oxidation for this type of steels, however these data show a substantial deviation. These differences can be related to e.g. ''batch to batch'' variation, oxidation conditions, surface treatment, difference between laboratory/power plants data, etc. Therefore these literature data need careful and critical verification when being used to estimate the long term materials behaviour in real power generation plants. The paper discusses the existing steam oxidation data for a number of selected steels, i.e. P91, P92 and VM12, thereby putting main emphasis on discussing the parameters which are responsible for observed variations in oxidation rates for the various types of materials. (orig.)

  2. Zirconium metal-water oxidation kinetics. V. Oxidation of Zircaloy in high pressure steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pawel, R.E.; Cathcart, J.V.; Campbell, J.J.; Jury, S.H.

    1977-12-01

    A series of scoping tests to determine the influence of steam pressure on the isothermal oxidation kinetics of Zircaloy-4 PWR tubing was undertaken. The oxidation experiments were conducted in flowing steam at 3.45, 6.90, and 10.34 MPa (500, 1000, and 1500 psi) at 905 0 C (1661 0 F), and at 3.45 and 6.90 MPa at 1101 0 C (2014 0 F). A comparison of the results of these experiments with those obtained for oxidation in steam at atmospheric pressure under similar conditions indicated that measurable enhancement of the oxidation rate occurred with increasing pressure at 905 0 C, but not at 1100 0 C

  3. Steam assisted oxide growth on aluminium alloys using oxidative chemistries: Part I Microstructural investigation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Din, Rameez Ud; Piotrowska, Kamila; Gudla, Visweswara Chakravarthy

    2015-01-01

    The surface treatment of aluminium alloys under steam containing KMnO4 and HNO3resulted in the formation of an oxide layer having a thickness of up to 825 nm. The use of KMnO4 and HNO3 in the steam resulted in incorporation of the respective chemical species into the oxide layer. Steam treatment ...

  4. Creep-rupture, steam oxidation and recovery behaviours upon dynamic transients up to 1300 C of cold-worked 304 stainless steel tubes dedicated to nuclear core fuel cladding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Portier, L.; Brachet, J.C.; Vandenberghe, V.; Guilbert, T.; Lezaud-Chaillioux, V.; Bernard, C.; Rabeau, V.

    2011-01-01

    An ambitious mechanical tests program was conducted on the fuel rod cladding of the CABRI facility between 2004 and 2009 to re-evaluate the cladding tubes materials behaviour. As an offspring of this major scientific investment several conclusions of interest could be drawn on the 304 stainless steel material. In particular, the specific behaviour of the materials during hypothetical and extreme 'dry-out' conditions was investigated. In such a scenario, the cladding tube materials should experience a very brief incursion at high temperatures, in a steam environment, up to 1300 C, before cladding rewetting. Some of the measurements performed in the range of interest for the safety case were on purpose developed beyond the conservatively safe domain. Some of the results obtained for these non-conventional heating rates, pressures and temperature ranges will be presented. First in order to assess the high temperature creep-rupture material behaviour under internal pressure upon dynamic transient conditions, tests have been performed on cold-worked 304 stainless cladding tubes in a steam environment, for heating rates up to 100 C*s -1 and pressure ramp rates up to 10 bar*s -1 thanks to the use of the EDGAR facility. Other tests performed at a given pressure allowed us to check the steady-state secondary creep rate of the materials in the 1100-1200 C temperature range. It was also possible to determine the rupture strength value and the failure mode as a function of the thermal and pressure loading history applied. It is worth noticing that, for very specific conditions, a surprising pure intergranular brittle failure mode of the clad has been observed. Secondly, in order to check the materials oxidation resistance of the materials, two-side steam oxidation tests have been performed at 1300 C, using the DEZIROX facility. It was shown that, thanks to the use of Ring Compression tests, the 304 cladding tube keeps significant ductility for oxidation times up to at least

  5. Pressure effects on high temperature steam oxidation of Zircaloy-4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Kwangheon; Kim, Kwangpyo; Ryu, Taegeun

    2000-01-01

    The pressure effects on Zircaloy-4 (Zry-4) cladding in high temperature steam have been analyzed. A double layer autoclave was made for the high pressure, high temperature oxidation tests. The experimental test temperature range was 700 - 900 deg C, and pressures were 0.1 - 15 MPa. Steam partial pressure turns out to be an important one rather than total pressure. Steam pressure enhances the oxidation rate of Zry-4 exponentially. The enhancement depends on the temperature, and the maximum exists between 750 - 800 deg C. Pre-existing oxide layer decreases the enhancement about 40 - 60%. The acceleration of oxidation rate by high pressure team seems to be originated from the formation of cracks by abrupt transformation of tetragonal phase in oxide, where the un-stability of tetragonal phase comes from the reduction of surface energy by steam. (author)

  6. Nb effect on Zr-alloy oxidation under high pressure steam at high temperatures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Kwangheon; Yang, Sungwoo; Kim, Kyutae

    2005-01-01

    The high-pressure steam effects on the oxidation of Zircaloy-4 (Zry-4) and Zirlo (Zry-1%Nb) claddings at high temperature have been analyzed. Test temperature range was 700-900degC, and pressures were 1-150 bars. High pressure-steam enhances oxidation of Zry-4, and the dependency of enhancement looks exponential to steam pressure. The origin of the oxidation enhancement turned out to be the formation of cracks in oxide. The loss of tetragonal phase by high-pressure steam seems related to the crack formation. Addition of Nb as an alloying element to Zr alloy reduces significantly the steam pressure effects on oxidation. The higher compressive stresses and the smaller fraction of tetragonal oxides in Zry-1%Nb seem to be the diminished effect of high-pressure steam on oxidation. (author)

  7. Long-term Steam Electrolysis with Electrolyte-Supported Solid Oxide Cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schefold, Josef; Brisse, Annabelle; Poepke, Hendrik

    2015-01-01

    Steam electrolysis over 11000 h with an electrolyte-supported solid oxide cell is discussed. The cell of 45 cm"2 area consists of a scandia/ceria doped zirconia electrolyte (6Sc1CeSZ), CGO diffusion-barrier/adhesion layers, a lanthanum strontium cobaltite ferrite (LSCF) oxygen electrode, and a nickel steam/hydrogen electrode. After initial 2500 h operation with lower current-density magnitude, the current density was set to j = -0.9 A cm"−"2 and the steam conversion rate to 51%. This led to a cell voltage of 1.185 V at 847 °C cell temperature. Average voltage degradation was 7.3 mV/1000 h ( 100% throughout the test (with an external heat source for evaporation). Impedance spectroscopic measurements revealed a degradation almost entirely due to increasing ohmic resistance. The rate of resistance increase was initially faster (up to 40 mΩ cm"2/1000 h) and stabilised after several 1000 h operation. After 9000 h a small (non-ohmic) electrode degradation became detectable (<2 mV/1000 h), superimposed to ohmic degradation. The small electrode degradation is understood as indication for largely reversible (electrolysis cell/fuel cell) behaviour.

  8. Comparison between zircaloy oxidation in steam and air surroundings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shawkat, M.E.; Hasaneln, H.; Ali, M.; Parlatan, Y.; Albasha, H.

    2013-01-01

    The available experimental data for Zircaloy oxidation in air were reviewed. The behavior of the oxidation kinetics at different temperature ranges was described. It was shown that maintaining the oxidation kinetics within the oxide pre-breakaway region can prevent elevated sheath temperatures due to the oxidation process during postulated accidents. The available correlations to model the oxidation kinetics for pre-breakaway region were reviewed and assessed. Zircaloy-air oxidation correlation based on Leistikow-Berg data was determined to be the most suitable correlation to model pre-breakaway kinetics and it was compared to Urbanic-Heidrick correlation which is widely used for Zircaloy oxidation in steam environment. The results showed that the energy release due to the Zircaloy-steam oxidation bounds the energy released due to Zircaloy-air oxidation up to a sheath temperature referred as the “crossover temperature”. Below this temperature, the impact of Zircaloy-air oxidation on fuel sheath temperature transient can be predicted conservatively using the Urbanic-Heidrick steam correlation. The crossover temperature was calculated for isothermal sheath heating as well as transient sheath heat-up assuming three linear heating rates of 0.6, 1.0, and 1.3 K/s. (author)

  9. PMK-2. Experimental study on steam generator behaviour

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ezsoel, G.; Szabados, L.; Trosztel, I. [KFKI Atomic Energy Research Inst., Budabest (Hungary)

    1995-12-31

    The PMK-2 is a full pressure scaled-down model of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, with a 1:2070 scaling ratio for the volume and power. It has a steam generator model which is a vertical section of the horizontal steam generator. The model has hot and cold collectors similarly to the steam generators of the plant. The heat transfer tubes are horizontal tubes. There are 82 rows of tubes and the elevations, as well as the heat transfer surface distribution is the same as in the plant. The elevation of the feed water supply is similar to that of the plant. To study the temperature distribution in both the primary and the secondary side several thermocouples are built in, in addition to the overall instrumentation of the loop which has again a high number of measurement channels. Paper gives a description and results of SPE-4, with special respect to the steam generator behaviour in both steady state and transient conditions. Axial distribution of coolant and feedwater temperatures are given for the primary and the secondary side of hot and cold collectors and the temperature distribution in the centre of steam generator. (orig.).

  10. PMK-2. Experimental study on steam generator behaviour

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ezsoel, G; Szabados, L; Trosztel, I [KFKI Atomic Energy Research Inst., Budabest (Hungary)

    1996-12-31

    The PMK-2 is a full pressure scaled-down model of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, with a 1:2070 scaling ratio for the volume and power. It has a steam generator model which is a vertical section of the horizontal steam generator. The model has hot and cold collectors similarly to the steam generators of the plant. The heat transfer tubes are horizontal tubes. There are 82 rows of tubes and the elevations, as well as the heat transfer surface distribution is the same as in the plant. The elevation of the feed water supply is similar to that of the plant. To study the temperature distribution in both the primary and the secondary side several thermocouples are built in, in addition to the overall instrumentation of the loop which has again a high number of measurement channels. Paper gives a description and results of SPE-4, with special respect to the steam generator behaviour in both steady state and transient conditions. Axial distribution of coolant and feedwater temperatures are given for the primary and the secondary side of hot and cold collectors and the temperature distribution in the centre of steam generator. (orig.).

  11. The accelerated oxidation of zircaloy-4 at 700∼900 .deg. C in high pressure steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, K. P.; Park, K. H.

    1999-01-01

    To find the effect of pressure on the high temperature oxidation of zircaloy-4, an autoclave capable of measuring the degree of oxidation at high temperatures and high pressure was manufactured. The specimens used in experiments are commercially available Zircaloy-4 used in Kori nuclear power plants. All the measurements were done at 700∼900 .deg. C in steam. Pressure effects were noticed. The oxide thickness was much thicker in high pressure steam, comparing to that in the 1 atm steam. And, the higher is the steam pressure, the thicker becomes the oxide. The enhancement of oxide growth rate at 700∼900 .deg. C in high pressure steam is approximately propotion to the power of 1.0∼1.6 of the ratio of experimental steam pressure to critical steam pressure. There is a critical steam pressure above that the oxidation rate enhances. The critical steam pressure was measured as 30∼40 bar. The enhanced oxidation seems from the oxide cracking due to the tetragonal to monoclinic phase transformation at high pressure steam

  12. Oxidation of Zircaloy-4 under limited steam supply at 1000 and 13000C

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uetsuka, H.

    1984-12-01

    With the view of examining the oxidation behavior of Zircaloy-4 under limited steam supply occurring in severe accidents of LWRs, Zircaloy-4 cladding specimens were examined at the isothermal oxidation temperatures of 1000 and 1300 0 C under a steam atmosphere, flowing at a reduced and constant rate in the range of 3proportional170 mg/cm 2 xmin. The effect of steam starvation, which was restricted to very low levels of steam supply rate, was observed at the two examined temperatures. And the critical supply rate of steam starvation was evaluated to be 13 and 20 mg/cm 2 xmin for the oxidation at 1000 and 1300 0 C, respectively. Variation of the oxidation duration between 2 and 60 min at 1000 0 C allowed to compare the reaction kinetics for three different rates of steam supply. The short-term results confirmed the reduced reaction rates for the lower steam supplies. At the longer times, however, a clear trend towards linear kinetics was observed for the lower supplies. This can be interpreted as the result of earlier breakaway transition under limited steam supply. In the test at 1300 0 C, an acceleration of the oxidation rate was measured for the specified steam supply rate between 20 and 60 mg/cm 2 xmin. This related strongly with high hydrogen concentration in the atmosphere. Hydrogen blanketing - the retarding effect of hydrogen on Zircaloy oxidation - was not identified in the examined temperature range. (orig./HP) [de

  13. Steam assisted oxide growth on aluminium alloys using oxidative chemistries: Part II corrosion performance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Din, Rameez Ud; Jellesen, Morten Stendahl; Ambat, Rajan

    2015-01-01

    the protection provided by steam treatment with HNO3was a function of the concentration of NO3−ions. The coating generated by inclusion of KMnO4showed highest resistance to filiform corrosion. Overall, the performance of the steam treated surfaces under filiform corrosion and AASS test was a result of the local......Surface treatment of aluminium alloys using steam with oxidative chemistries, namely KMnO4 and HNO3 resulted in accelerated growth of oxide on aluminium alloys. Detailed investigation of the corrosion performance of the treated surfaces was carried out using potentiodynamic polarisation...

  14. Nondestructive hydrogen analysis of steam-oxidized Zircaloy-4 by wide-angle neutron scattering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Yong; Qian, Shuo; Garrison, Ben; Smith, Tyler; Kim, Peter

    2018-04-01

    A nondestructive neutron scattering method to precisely measure the hydrogen content in high-temperature steam-oxidized Zircaloy-4 cladding was developed. Zircaloy-4 cladding was used to produce hydrided specimens with hydrogen content up to ≈500 wppm. Following hydrogen charging, the hydrogen content of the hydrided specimens was measured using the vacuum hot extraction method, by which the samples with desired hydrogen concentrations were selected for the neutron study. The hydrided samples were then oxidized in steam up to ≈6.0 wt. % at 1100 °C. Optical microscopy shows that our hydriding procedure results in uniform distribution of circumferential hydrides across the wall thickness, and uniform oxide layers were formed on the sample surfaces by the steam oxidation. Small- and wide-angle neutron scattering were simultaneously performed to provide a quick (less than an hour per sample) measurement of the hydrogen content in various types of hydrided and oxidized Zircaloy-4. Our study demonstrates that the hydrogen in pre-oxidized Zircaloy-4 cladding can be measured very accurately by both small- and wide-angle neutron scattering. For steam-oxidized samples, the small-angle neutron scattering is contaminated with coherent scattering from additional structural features induced by the steam oxidation. However, the scattering intensity of the wide-angle neutron scattering increases proportionally with the hydrogen charged in the samples. The hydrogen content and wide-angle neutron scattering intensity are highly linearly correlated for the oxidized cladding samples examined in this work, and can be used to precisely determine the hydrogen content in steam-oxidized Zircaloy-4 samples. Hydrogen contents determined by neutron scattering of oxidation samples were also found to be consistent with the results of chemical analysis within acceptable margins for error.

  15. Sensitivity of measured steam oxidation kinetics to atmospheric control and impurities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sooby Wood, E., E-mail: sooby@lanl.gov [Materials Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM (United States); Terrani, K.A. [Nuclear Fuels Materials Group, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Nelson, A.T. [Materials Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2016-08-15

    The most direct means of improving the ability of water cooled reactors to withstand excessive cladding oxidation during a loss of coolant accident is to either modify or replace zirconium cladding. It is important to understand what level of agreement is to be expected as a function of systematic differences in steam oxidation testing techniques and instrumentation among testing facilities. The present study was designed to assess the sensitivities of some of the current and proposed reactor cladding materials. Steam oxidation sensitivity of Zircaloy-2, FeCrAl and Mo to O{sub 2} impurities in steam were examined. It was shown that the effect of O{sub 2} impurities is negligible for the two former materials while significant in the case of Mo.

  16. Redox?Reversible Iron Orthovanadate Cathode for Solid Oxide Steam Electrolyzer

    OpenAIRE

    Gan, Lizhen; Ye, Lingting; Ruan, Cong; Chen, Shigang; Xie, Kui

    2015-01-01

    A redox?reversible iron orthovanadate cathode is demonstrated for a solid oxide electrolyser with up to 100% current efficiency for steam electrolysis. The iron catalyst is grown on spinel?type electronic conductor FeV2O4 by in situ tailoring the reversible phase change of FeVO4 to Fe+FeV2O4 in a reducing atmosphere. Promising electrode performances have been obtained for a solid oxide steam electrolyser based on this composite cathode.

  17. Mechanical test of E110 cladding material oxidized in hydrogen rich steam atmosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Windberg, P.; Perez-Fero, E.

    2005-01-01

    The behavior of the fuel cladding under accidental conditions has been studied at the AEKI for more than a decade. Earlier, the effect of oxygen and hydrogen content on the mechanical properties was studied separately. The present experiments can help to understand what kind of processes took place in the cleaning tank at Paks NPP (2003). The purpose of our experiments was to investigate high temperature oxidation of E110 cladding in steam + hydrogen mixture. A high temperature tube furnace was used for oxidation of the samples. The oxidation was carried out at three different temperatures (900 0 C, 1000 0 C, 1100 0 C). The hydrogen content in the steam was varied between 19-36 vol%. The oxygen content of the sample was defined as oxidation ratio. Two sizes (length: 2 and 8 mm) of cladding rings and 100 mm long E110 cladding tubes were oxidized. After the oxidation we made compression and tensile tests for rings, and ballooning experiments for 100 mm long tube. The most important conclusions were the following. Oxidation in H-rich steam atmosphere need longer time to get the same oxidation ratio compared to the steam oxidation without hydrogen. The shorter oxidation time results in a more compact oxide layer. The longer oxidation time leads to a cracked oxide layer. (author)

  18. Investigation on the Enhanced Oxidation of Ferritic/Martensitic Steel P92 in Pure Steam

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juntao Yuan

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Oxidation of ferritic/martensitic steel P92 was investigated in pure oxygen and in pure steam at 600–800 °C by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, optical microscopy (OM, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, and X-ray diffraction (XRD. The results showed that the oxidation of P92 was significantly enhanced and multilayer scale with an outer iron oxides layer formed in pure steam. At 700 °C, the gas switch markedly influenced the scaling kinetics and scale microstructure. It was supposed that the higher affinity of iron to steam would be attributed to the enhanced oxidation of P92 in pure steam, and the much easier transport of hydroxyl would account for the significant difference induced by gas switch.

  19. Oxidation Kinetics of Ferritic Alloys in High-Temperature Steam Environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, Stephen S.; White, Josh; Hosemann, Peter; Nelson, Andrew

    2018-02-01

    High-temperature isothermal steam oxidation kinetic parameters of several ferritic alloys were determined by thermogravimetric analysis. The oxidation kinetic constant ( k) was measured as a function of temperature from 900°C to 1200°C. The results show a marked increase in oxidation resistance compared to reference Zircaloy-2, with kinetic constants 3-5 orders of magnitude lower across the experimental temperature range. The results of this investigation supplement previous findings on the properties of ferritic alloys for use as candidate cladding materials and extend kinetic parameter measurements to high-temperature steam environments suitable for assessing accident tolerance for light water reactor applications.

  20. Accelerated growth of oxide film on aluminium alloys under steam: Part II: Effects of alloy chemistry and steam vapour pressure on corrosion and adhesion performance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Din, Rameez Ud; Bordo, Kirill; Jellesen, Morten Stendahl

    2015-01-01

    The steam treatment of aluminium alloys with varying vapour pressure of steamresulted in the growth of aluminium oxyhydroxide films of thickness range between 450 - 825nm. The surface composition, corrosion resistance, and adhesion of the produced films was characterised by XPS, potentiodynamic p...... of the vapour pressure of the steam. The accelerated corrosion and adhesion tests on steam generated oxide films with commercial powder coating verified that the performance of the oxide coating is highly dependent on the vapour pressure of the steam....... polarization, acetic acid salt spray, filiform corrosion test, and tape test. The oxide films formed by steam treatment showed good corrosion resistance in NaCl solution by significantly reducing anodic and cathodic activities. The pitting potential of the surface treated with steam was a function...

  1. High-temperature oxidation of Zircaloy-2 and Zircaloy-4 in steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Urbanic, V.F.; Heidrick, T.R.

    1978-01-01

    At temperatures above the (α + β)/β transformation temperature for zirconium alloys, steam reacts with β-Zr to form a superficial layer of zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ) and an intermediate layer of oxygen-stabilized α-Zr. Reaction kinetics and the rate of growth of the combined (ZrO 2 + α-Zr) layer for Zircaloy-2 and Zircaloy-4 oxidation in steam were measured over the temperature range 1050-1850 o C. The reaction rates for both alloys were similar, obeyed parabolic kinetics and were not limited by gas phase diffusion. The parabolic rate constants were consistently less than those given by the Baker and Just correlation for zirconium oxidation in steam. A discontinuity was found in the temperature dependence of both the reaction rate and the rate of growth of the combined (ZrO 2 + α-Zr) layer. The discontinuity is attributed to a change in the oxide microstructure at the discontinuity temperature, an observation which is consistent with the zirconium-oxygen phase diagram. (author)

  2. Steam oxidation and the evaluation of coatings and material performance through collaborative research

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fry, A.T. [National Physical Lab., Teddington (United Kingdom); Aguero, A. [INTA, Madrid (Spain)

    2010-07-01

    Over the last five years through the COST 536 Programme researchers across Europe have been collaborating to better understand the phenomena of steam oxidation and to characterise coated and uncoated materials for use in power plants. During this period fundamental study of the oxidation mechanisms and changes in the oxidation kinetics caused by the presence of steam have been undertaken. Materials covering a range of high temperature plant applications have been studied, from low alloy martensitic alloys through to Ni-based superalloy materials, with investigations into the effect of increasing temperatures and pressures on the oxidation kinetics, oxide morphology and spallation characteristics. In addition conventional and novel coatings have been evaluated to assess their potential use in new USC plant. This paper will present an overview of these activities demonstrating the effect that steam has on the oxidation of alloys and coatings. (orig.)

  3. Oxidation of Zircaloy-4 in steam-nitrogen mixtures at 600-1200 °C

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steinbrueck, Martin; da Silva, Fabio Oliveira; Grosse, Mirco

    2017-07-01

    High-temperature oxidation of zirconium alloys in steam-nitrogen atmospheres may be relevant during various nuclear accident scenarios. Therefore, isothermal oxidation tests with Zircaloy-4 in steam-nitrogen mixtures have been performed at 600, 800, 1000, and 1200 °C using thermogravimetry. The gas compositions were varied between 0 and 100 vol% nitrogen including 0.1 and 90 vol%. The strong effect of nitrogen on the oxidation kinetics of zirconium alloys was confirmed in these tests in mixed steam-nitrogen atmospheres. Even very low concentrations of nitrogen (starting from less than 1 vol%) strongly increase reaction kinetics. Nitrogen reduces transition time from protective to non-protective oxide scale (breakaway). The formation of zirconium nitride, ZrN, and its re-oxidation is the main reason for the highly porous oxide scales after transition. The results of this study have shown the safety relevant role of nitrogen during severe accidents and, more generally, suggest the need of using well controlled gas atmospheres for experiments on oxidation of zirconium alloys.

  4. Modelling of Zircaloy-steam-oxidation under severe fuel damage conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malang, S.; Neitzel, H.J.

    1983-01-01

    Small break loss-of-coolant accidents and special transients in an LWR, in combination with loss of required safety systems, may lead to an uncovered core for an extended period of time. As a consequence, the cladding temperature could rise up to the melting point due to the decay heat, resulting in severely damaged fuel rods. During heat-up the claddings oxidize due to oxygen uptake from the steam atmosphere in the core. The modeling and assessment of the Zircaloy-steam oxidation under such conditions is important, mainly for two reasons: The oxidation of the cladding influences the temperature transients due to the exothermic heat of reaction; the amount of liquified fuel depends on the oxide layer thickness and the oxygen content of the remaining Zircaloy metal when the melting point is reached. (author)

  5. Heat release from B4C oxidation in steam and air

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Belovsky, L.

    1996-01-01

    BWR and some PWR cores contain boron carbide (B 4 C) as neutron absorber. During a severe accident, the B 4 C can potentially react with steam under release of heat and hydrogen. Although models for B 4 C oxidation already exist in MELCOR and SCDAP/RELAP5, a development of a new model for another computer code seems to be difficult due to a missing comprehensive description of the current modelling methodology and scarce experimental data. The aim of this paper is to highlight the key points of the B 4 C oxidation using the existing available experimental data and to perform a simple heat balance analysis of the B 4 C/steam and B 4 C/air chemical reactions. The analysis of literature data shows that the B 4 C oxidation phenomenon is qualitatively well described below 1000 deg. C. However, no reliable data exist for the reaction kinetics especially above this temperature. It was found that the experimental results strongly depend on the experimental arrangement. The reaction heats, calculated in this study, indicate that the B 4 C oxidation is an exothermic reaction, releasing more heat in air than in steam. The formation of boric acids from the boron oxide increases the heat release from B 4 C by ∼ 10%, in the worst case. Although the total heat, released in a PWR core from the B 4 C oxidation, is probably much smaller than the heat released from the Zr/steam reaction, it is not excluded that the B 4 C oxidation can locally contribute to the damage of the control elements due to local overheating. Modelling of these phenomena is, however, very difficult due to the complex geometry of the liquefied control elements and due to absence of suitable data on the reaction kinetics. (author). 25 refs, 2 figs, 3 tabs

  6. High-temperature steam oxidation kinetics of the E110G cladding alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Király, Márton; Kulacsy, Katalin; Hózer, Zoltán; Perez-Feró, Erzsébet; Novotny, Tamás

    2016-01-01

    In the course of recent years, several experiments were performed at MTA EK (Centre for Energy Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences) on the isothermal high-temperature oxidation of the improved Russian cladding alloy E110G in steam/argon atmosphere. Using these data and designing additional supporting experiments, the oxidation kinetics of the E110G alloy was investigated in a wide temperature range, between 600 °C and 1200 °C. For short durations (below 500 s) or high temperatures (above 1065 °C) the oxidation kinetics was found to follow a square-root-of-time dependence, while for longer durations and in the intermediate temperature range (800–1000 °C) it was found to approach a cube-root-of-time dependence rather than a square-root one. Based on the results a new best-estimate and a conservative oxidation kinetics model were created. - Highlights: • Steam oxidation kinetics of E110G was studied at MTA EK based on old and new data. • New best-estimate and conservative steam oxidation kinetics were proposed for E110G. • The exponent of oxidation time changed depending on oxidation temperature. • A simple exponential curve was used instead of Arrhenius-type curve for the factor.

  7. Material problems related to large scale firing of biomass. Steam oxidation of TP 347H FG and X20

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Noergaard Hansson, A.

    2009-07-01

    TP 347 H and X20 is often used as construction material in biomass-fired boilers. The corrosion rate of the alloys is affected by the metal temperature. In this project, the oxidation behaviour of TP 347H FG and X20 is studied by field-testing, laboratory exposures, and thermodynamic/kinetic modelling. The long term oxidation behaviour of TP 347H FG at ultra supercritical steam conditions was assessed by exposing the steel in 4 test superheater loops in a coal-fired power plant. The steel was exposed for 7720, 22985, 29588, and 57554 h at metal temperatures between 499 and 650 deg. C. In the laboratory furnace, the oxidation behaviour of TP 347H FG, TP 347H CG, and X20 was studied in water vapour containing environments (8 or 46%) in the temperature range 500-700 deg. C. Air, Ar and Ar+7% H{sub 2} were used as carrier gas. The microstructure of the oxide layer and the subjacent alloy was investigated with X-ray diffraction (XRD), reflective light microscopy (RLM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) equipped with electron diffraction (ED) and EDS. Double-layered oxides developed during steam oxidation of TP 347H FG both during field-testing and during laboratory exposures. TEM investigation suggested that the interior of the alloy grain was oxidised internally, forming particles of metallic Ni/Fe and Fe-Cr spinel. A FeCr{sub 2}O{sub 4} layer developed along the former alloy grain boundaries. Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} developed in between this layer and the alloy during field-testing, and its formation was promoted by higher temperature. The morphology of the inner layer for the samples oxidised below and above approx. 585 deg. C looked very different in SEM (field-testing). It is suggested that more Cr is incorporated into the oxide layer at higher temperature, gradually transforming the morphology of the inner oxide layer. The alloy beneath the oxide layer was depleted in Cr

  8. Effect of lead on Inconel 600 and Incoloy 800 oxide layers formed in simulated steam generator secondary environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garcia-Mazario, M.; Lancha, A.M.; Hernandez, M.; Maffiotte, C.

    1996-01-01

    The existence of lead in steam generators, detected during the analysis of deposits in the damaged areas of tubing, supports the hypothesis that lead may contribute to the cracking problems experienced in steam generator tubes. In addition, the harmful effect of lead on Inconel 600 is known not only through laboratory tests but also as a result of operating experience. Operating experience of Incoloy 800 is, however, much more limited and there are very few laboratory studies in this area. Taking into account that thin films formed on metals reflect the interaction between such metals and the aqueous environment and also that incoloy 800 is considered to be a suitable material for new steam generators as a substitute for Inconel 600, attempts to determine the effect of lead on corrosion films are considered useful with a view to better understanding the stress-corrosion-cracking behaviour of these materials. For these reasons the objective of this paper is to gain some insights into the effect of lead on the oxide layers forming on Inconel 600 and Incoloy 800 tested in the laboratory in various aggressive lead-containing environments. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) have been used to study the composition of these oxide layers. (orig.)

  9. Aroma behaviour during steam cooking within a potato starch-based model matrix.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Descours, Emilie; Hambleton, Alicia; Kurek, Mia; Debeaufort, Fréderic; Voilley, Andrée; Seuvre, Anne-Marie

    2013-06-05

    To help understand the organoleptic qualities of steam cooked foods, the kinetics of aroma release during cooking in a potato starch based model matrix was studied. Behaviour of components having a major impact in potato flavour were studied using solid phase micro extraction-gas chromatography (SPME-GC). Evolution of microstructure of potato starch model-matrix during steam cooking process was analyzed using environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). Both aroma compounds that are naturally present in starch matrix and those that were added were analyzed. Both the aroma compounds naturally presented and those added had different behaviour depending on their physico-chemical properties (hydrophobicity, saturation vapour pressure, molecular weight, etc.). The physical state of potato starch influences of the retention of aromatized matrix with Starch gelatinization appearing to be the major phenomenon influencing aroma release. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Oxidation of Zircaloy-4 in steam-nitrogen mixtures at 600–1200 °C

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Steinbrueck, Martin, E-mail: martin.steinbrueck@kit.edu; Oliveira da Silva, Fabio; Grosse, Mirco

    2017-07-15

    High-temperature oxidation of zirconium alloys in steam-nitrogen atmospheres may be relevant during various nuclear accident scenarios. Therefore, isothermal oxidation tests with Zircaloy-4 in steam-nitrogen mixtures have been performed at 600, 800, 1000, and 1200 °C using thermogravimetry. The gas compositions were varied between 0 and 100 vol% nitrogen including 0.1 and 90 vol%. The strong effect of nitrogen on the oxidation kinetics of zirconium alloys was confirmed in these tests in mixed steam-nitrogen atmospheres. Even very low concentrations of nitrogen (starting from less than 1 vol%) strongly increase reaction kinetics. Nitrogen reduces transition time from protective to non-protective oxide scale (breakaway). The formation of zirconium nitride, ZrN, and its re-oxidation is the main reason for the highly porous oxide scales after transition. The results of this study have shown the safety relevant role of nitrogen during severe accidents and, more generally, suggest the need of using well controlled gas atmospheres for experiments on oxidation of zirconium alloys.

  11. Investigation of the high temperature steam oxidation of Zircaloy 4 cladding tubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leistikow, S.; Berg, H. v.; Kraft, R.; Pott, E.; Schanz, G.

    1979-01-01

    Also for the ORNL Zircaloy 4 cladding material, an intermediate decrease of the proportion of the ZrO 2 /α-phase layer was found, followed by an drastic increase when the breakaway of the ZrO 2 -scale occurred. Other reasons for small divergencies were evaluated, for instance temperature and time measurements, metallographic evaluation of layer thicknesses, consequences of one-sided (ORNL) and double-sided (KfK) oxidation. The so-called anomalous effect of steam oxidation during temperature transients was reproduced qualitatively and-in case that a reduced gain of oxygen was observed-explained by the predominant existence of the monoclinic oxide phase. The creep-rupture tests below 800 0 C showed a moderate prolongation of time-to-rupture when the tests were performed in steam (or after preoxidation in steam) instead of argon. Also slightly reduced maximum circumferential strain could be measured. (orig./RW) [de

  12. Creep performance of oxide ceramic fiber materials at elevated temperature in air and in steam

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armani, Clinton J.

    Structural aerospace components that operate in severe conditions, such as extreme temperatures and detrimental environments, require structural materials that have superior long-term mechanical properties and that are thermochemically stable over a broad range of service temperatures and environments. Ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) capable of excellent mechanical performance in harsh environments are prime candidates for such applications. Oxide ceramic materials have been used as constituents in CMCs. However, recent studies have shown that high-temperature mechanical performance of oxide-oxide CMCs deteriorate in a steam-rich environment. The degradation of strength at elevated temperature in steam has been attributed to the environmentally assisted subcritical crack growth in the oxide fibers. Furthermore, oxide-oxide CMCs have shown significant increases in steady-state creep rates in steam. The present research investigated the effects of steam on the high-temperature creep and monotonic tension performance of several oxide ceramic materials. Experimental facilities were designed and configured, and experimental methods were developed to explore the influence of steam on the mechanical behaviors of ceramic fiber tows and of ceramic bulk materials under temperatures in the 1100--1300°C range. The effects of steam on creep behavior of Nextel(TM)610 and Nextel(TM)720 fiber tows were examined. Creep rates at elevated temperatures in air and in steam were obtained for both types of fibers. Relationships between creep rates and applied stresses were modeled and underlying creep mechanisms were identified. For both types of fiber tows, a creep life prediction analysis was performed using linear elastic fracture mechanics and a power-law crack velocity model. These results have not been previously reported and have critical design implications for CMC components operating in steam or near the recommended design limits. Predictions were assessed and validated via

  13. Steam Methane Reformation Testing for Air-Independent Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mwara, Kamwana N.

    2015-01-01

    Recently, NASA has been looking into utilizing landers that can be propelled by LOX-CH (sub 4), to be used for long duration missions. Using landers that utilize such propellants, also provides the opportunity to use solid oxide fuel cells as a power option, especially since they are able to process methane into a reactant through fuel reformation. One type of reformation, called steam methane reformation, is a process to reform methane into a hydrogen-rich product by reacting methane and steam (fuel cell exhaust) over a catalyst. A steam methane reformation system could potentially use the fuel cell's own exhaust to create a reactant stream that is hydrogen-rich, and requires less internal reforming of the incoming methane. Also, steam reformation may hold some advantages over other types of reforming, such as partial oxidation (PROX) reformation. Steam reformation does not require oxygen, while up to 25 percent can be lost in PROX reformation due to unusable CO (sub 2) reformation. NASA's Johnson Space Center has conducted various phases of steam methane reformation testing, as a viable solution for in-space reformation. This has included using two different types of catalysts, developing a custom reformer, and optimizing the test system to find the optimal performance parameters and operating conditions.

  14. Intergranular oxidation of austenistic stainless steels in steam at 6000C

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hersubeno, Johannes Baptista de la Salle.

    1981-11-01

    The oxidation kinetics of a 17.13 bicrystalline and polycrystalline stainless steel was determined at 600 0 C in the presence of steam. The appearance, structure and composition of the oxides at the grain boundaries were particularly studied [fr

  15. Simulation and experimental approach to CVD-FBR aluminide coatings on ferritic steels under steam oxidation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leal, J.; Alcala, G.; Bolivar, F.J.; Sanchez, L.; Hierro, M.P.; Perez, F.J.

    2008-01-01

    The ferritic steels used to produce structural components for steam turbines are susceptible to strong corrosion and creep damage due to the extreme working conditions pushed to increase the process efficiency and to reduce pollutants release. The response of aluminide coatings on the P-92 ferritic steel, deposited by CVD-FBR, during oxidation in a simulated steam environment was studied. The analyses were performed at 650 deg. C in order to simulate the working conditions of a steam turbine, and 800 deg. C in order to produce a critical accelerated oxidation test. The Thermo-Calc software was used to predict the different solid phases that could be generated during the oxidation process, in both, coated and uncoated samples. In order to validate the thermodynamic results, the oxides scales produced during steam tests were characterized by different techniques such as XRD, SEM and EDS. The preliminary results obtained are discussed in the present work

  16. GENERATION, TRANSPORT AND DEPOSITION OF TUNGSTEN-OXIDE AEROSOLS AT 1000 C IN FLOWING AIR-STEAM MIXTURES.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    GREENE,G.A.; FINFROCK,C.C.

    2001-10-01

    Experiments were conducted to measure the rates of oxidation and vaporization of pure tungsten rods in flowing air, steam and air-steam mixtures in laminar flow. Also measured were the downstream transport of tungsten-oxide condensation aerosols and their region of deposition, including plateout in the superheated flow tube, rainout in the condenser and ambient discharge which was collected on an array of sub-micron aerosol filters. The nominal conditions of the tests, with the exception of the first two tests, were tungsten temperatures of 1000 C, gas mixture temperatures of 200 C and wall temperatures of 150 C to 200 C. It was observed that the tungsten oxidation rates were greatest in all air and least in all steam, generally decreasing non-linearly with increasing steam mole fraction. The tungsten oxidation rates in all air were more than five times greater than the tungsten oxidation rates in all steam. The tungsten vaporization rate was zero in all air and increased with increasing steam mole fraction. The vaporization rate became maximum at a steam mole fraction of 0.85 and decreased thereafter as the steam mole fraction was increased to unity. The tungsten-oxide was transported downstream as condensation aerosols, initially flowing upwards from the tungsten rod through an 18-inch long, one-inch diameter quartz tube, around a 3.5-inch radius, 90{sup o} bend and laterally through a 24-inch horizontal run. The entire length of the quartz glass flow path was heated by electrical resistance clamshell heaters whose temperatures were individually controlled and measured. The tungsten-oxide plateout in the quartz tube was collected, nearly all of which was deposited at the end of the heated zone near the entrance to the condenser which was cold. The tungsten-oxide which rained out in the condenser as the steam condensed was collected with the condensate and weighed after being dried. The aerosol smoke which escaped the condenser was collected on the sub

  17. Effect of pressurized steam on AA1050 aluminium

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jariyaboon, Manthana; Møller, Per; Ambat, Rajan

    2012-01-01

    Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to understand the effect of pressurized steam on surface changes, structures of intermetallic particles and corrosion behavior of AA1050 aluminium. Design/methodology/approach - Industrially pure aluminium (AA1050, 99.5 per cent) surfaces were exposed...... reactivities was observed due to the formation of the compact oxide layer. Originality/value - This paper reveals a detailed investigation of how pressurized steam can affect the corrosion behaviour of AA1050 aluminium and the structure of Fe-containing intermetallic particles....

  18. Fabrication of cathode supported tubular solid oxide electrolysis cell for high temperature steam electrolysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shao, Le; Wang, Shaorong; Qian, Jiqin; Xue, Yanjie; Liu, Renzhu

    2011-01-15

    In recent years, hydrogen has been identified as a potential alternative fuel and energy carrier for the future energy supply. Water electrolysis is one of the important hydrogen production technologies which do not emit carbon dioxide. High temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE) consumes even less electrical energy than low temperature water electrolysis. Theoretically, HTSE using solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC) can efficiently utilize renewable energy to produce hydrogen, and it is also possible to operate the SOEC in reverse mode as the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) to produce electricity. Tubular SOFC have been widely investigated. In this study, tubular solid oxide cells were fabricated by dip-coating and cosintering techniques. In SOEC mode, results suggested that steam ratio had a strong impact on the performance of the tubular cell; the tubular SOEC preferred to be operated at high steam ratio in order to avoid concentration polarization. The microstructure of the tubular SOEC should therefore be optimized for high temperature steam electrolysis.

  19. Steam Oxidation Behavior of Alloy 617 at 900 °C to 1100 °C

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Zhiyuan; Wang, Yungang; Zhao, Qinxin

    2018-05-01

    The steam oxidation behavior of solid solution strengthened alloy 617 at 900 °C-1100 °C was investigated. The oxidation products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy. The results show that the oxidation kinetics of alloy 617 in steam followed the parabolic oxidation law. The calculated activity energy of alloy 617 was 223.47 kJ/mol. The oxidation products were mainly composed of external and internal scales and prior oxides at grain boundaries. External oxide scales were MnCr2O4, TiO2, and Cr2O3. Internal oxidation scales and prior oxides were Al2O3 and some Cr2O3 dissolved into Al2O3. The growth mechanism of oxide scales on alloy 617 is proposed.

  20. Comparison between wet oxidation and steam explosion as pretreatment methods for enzymatic hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Medina, Carlos Martín; Marcet, M.; Thomsen, Anne Belinda

    2008-01-01

    , and to a two-fold increase of cellulose content in the pretreated solids, while steam explosion solubilised only 60% of xylan and 35% of lignin and increased cellulose content in the solid material by one third. Wet oxidation formed more aliphatic acids and phenolics, and less furan aldehydes in the liquid......Alkaline wet oxidation and steam explosion pretreatments of sugarcane bagasse were compared with regard to biomass fractionation, formation of by-products, and enzymatic convertibility of the pretreated material. Wet oxidation led to the solubilisation of 82% of xylan and 50% of lignin...... fraction than steam explosion did. A better enzymatic convertibility of cellulose was achieved for the wet-oxidised material (57.4 %) than for the steam-exploded material (48.9 %). Cellulose convertibility was lower for the whole slurry than for the washed solids in both pretreatments, but more...

  1. An afterburner-powered methane/steam reformer for a solid oxide fuel cells application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mozdzierz, Marcin; Chalusiak, Maciej; Kimijima, Shinji; Szmyd, Janusz S.; Brus, Grzegorz

    2018-04-01

    Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems can be fueled by natural gas when the reforming reaction is conducted in a stack. Due to its maturity and safety, indirect internal reforming is usually used. A strong endothermic methane/steam reforming process needs a large amount of heat, and it is convenient to provide thermal energy by burning the remainders of fuel from a cell. In this work, the mathematical model of afterburner-powered methane/steam reformer is proposed. To analyze the effect of a fuel composition on SOFC performance, the zero-dimensional model of a fuel cell connected with a reformer is formulated. It is shown that the highest efficiency of a solid oxide fuel cell is achieved when the steam-to-methane ratio at the reforming reactor inlet is high.

  2. Embrittlement of pre-hydrided Zircaloy-4 by steam oxidation under simulated LOCA transients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Desquines, J., E-mail: jean.desquines@irsn.fr; Drouan, D.; Guilbert, S.; Lacote, P.

    2016-02-15

    During a Loss Of Coolant Accident (LOCA), the mechanical behavior of high temperature steam oxidized fuel rods is an important issue. In this study, as-received and pre-hydrided axial tensile samples were steam oxidized in a vertical furnace and water quenched in order to simulate a LOCA transient. The samples were then subjected to a mechanical test to determine the failure conditions. Two different rupture modes were evidenced; the first one associated to linear elastic fracture mechanics and the second one is associated to sample failure without applied load. The oxidized cladding fracture toughness was determined relying on intensive metallographic analysis. The sample failure conditions were then back predicted confirming that the main rupture parameters are well captured.

  3. Oxidation-induced deformation of zircaloy-4 tubing in steam in the temperature range 600-1000 degree C

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aly, A.E.; Hussein, A.G.; EL-Raghy, S.M.; EL-Sayed, A.A.; EL-Banna, O.A.

    1992-01-01

    The oxidation-induced deformation of zircaloy-4 (zry-4) tubing in steam has been studied in the temperature range 600 to 1000 degree C. The induced deformation has been measured in both radial and axial directions of the tube. The effect of hydrogen addition to steam was also investigated. The oxidation-induced deformation has been characterized by uniform and non-uniform (distortion) strain period. During the uniform strain period the radial strain kinetics were found in general, to be parallel to the oxidation kinetics. The axial strain (δA) induced by oxidation was found to be always lower than the radial strain (εR). The addition of 5% by volume hydrogen to steam leads to an increase in the oxidation rate and to a decrease in the degree of anisotropy between radial and axial strains

  4. Development and validation of advanced oxidation protective coatings for super critical steam power plant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Henderson, M.B.; Scheefer, M. [Alstom Power Ltd., Rugby (United Kingdom); Agueero, A. [Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aerospacial (INTA) (Spain); Allcock, B. [Monitor Coatings Ltd. (United Kingdom); Norton, B. [Indestructible Paints Ltd. (United Kingdom); Tsipas, D.N. [Aristotle Univ. of Thessaloniki (Greece); Durham, R. [FZ Juelich (Germany); Xiang, Z. [Northumbria Univ. (United Kingdom)

    2006-07-01

    Increasing the efficiency of coal-fired power plant by increasing steam temperatures and pressures brings benefits in terms of cheaper electricity and reduced emissions, particularly CO{sub 2}. In recent years the development of advanced 9%Cr ferritic steels with improved creep strength has enabled power plant operation at temperatures in excess of 600 C, such that these materials are being exploited to construct a new generation of advanced coalfired plant. However, the move to higher temperatures and pressures creates an extremely hostile oxidising environment. To enable the full potential of the new steels to be achieved, it is vital that protective coatings are developed, validated under high temperature steam and applied to candidate components from the steam path. This paper reviews recent work conducted within the Framework V project ''Coatings for Supercritical Steam Cycles'' (SUPERCOAT) to develop and demonstrate advanced slurry and thermal spray coatings capable of providing steam oxidation protection at temperatures in excess of 620 C and up to 300 bar. The programme of work has demonstrated the feasibility of applying a number of candidate coatings to steam turbine power plant components and has generated long-term steam oxidation rate and failure data that underpin the design and application work packages needed to develop and establish this technology for new and retrofit plant. (orig.)

  5. Alternative method for steam generation for thermal oxidation of silicon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spiegelman, Jeffrey J.

    2010-02-01

    Thermal oxidation of silicon is an important process step in MEMS device fabrication. Thicker oxide layers are often used as structural components and can take days or weeks to grow, causing high gas costs, maintenance issues, and a process bottleneck. Pyrolytic steam, which is generated from hydrogen and oxygen combustion, was the default process, but has serious drawbacks: cost, safety, particles, permitting, reduced growth rate, rapid hydrogen consumption, component breakdown and limited steam flow rates. Results from data collected over a 24 month period by a MEMS manufacturer supports replacement of pyrolytic torches with RASIRC Steamer technology to reduce process cycle time and enable expansion previously limited by local hydrogen permitting. Data was gathered to determine whether Steamers can meet or exceed pyrolytic torch performance. The RASIRC Steamer uses de-ionized water as its steam source, eliminating dependence on hydrogen and oxygen. A non-porous hydrophilic membrane selectively allows water vapor to pass. All other molecules are greatly restricted, so contaminants in water such as dissolved gases, ions, total organic compounds (TOC), particles, and metals can be removed in the steam phase. The MEMS manufacturer improved growth rate by 7% over the growth range from 1μm to 3.5μm. Over a four month period, wafer uniformity, refractive index, wafer stress, and etch rate were tracked with no significant difference found. The elimination of hydrogen generated a four-month return on investment (ROI). Mean time between failure (MTBF) was increased from 3 weeks to 32 weeks based on three Steamers operating over eight months.

  6. Experimental study of the zirconium alloy oxidation under high pressure of steam and modelling of the mechanisms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dali, Yacoub

    2007-01-01

    The corrosion of the cladding materials used for the fuel rods is one of the limiting factor of their lifetime in light water reactors. In this field, the aim of the nuclear industry is today to increase the time and the number of cycles and to submit the claddings in zirconium alloys to higher corrosive conditions. In this way, new alloys devoted to replace the standard Zircaloy-4, for instance Nb containing alloys, have been recently developed and licensed and show better corrosion resistance. A better understanding of the corrosion mechanisms of the zirconium alloys is necessary to predict the corrosion behaviour of these materials. In this work, the oxidation rate of model alloys of two metallurgic families has been studied in steam in a pressure range between 100 milli-bars and 100 bars. The Zircaloy type alloys contain as alloying elements oxygen and/or tin and/or iron and chromium. For the Zr-Nb family, three niobium contents have been studied, respectively 0.2, 0.4 and 1 weight percent of niobium. Our objectives were to understand the variations of the reactivity between the low pressure and the high pressure range, in quantifying the dependency of the corrosion rate with the steam pressure and the alloying element concentrations. The segregation process of the niobium at the surface has also been studied on the Zr-Nb alloys. During this work, a magnetic suspension thermo-balance has been developed and used to follow in-situ the corrosion rate at high pressure of water vapour. The oxide layers have been characterized by many techniques, macro and micro-photo-electrochemistry, XRD, FEG-SEM, XPS, HR-TEM and SIMS. For the Zircaloy type alloys, we have confirmed the major role of the intermetallic precipitates Zr(Fe,Cr) 2 on the corrosion resistance. Unlike the standard Zircaloy-4, for which the oxidation rate does not depend on the pressure of the water vapour and is thus limited by the vacancy diffusion in the oxide layer, we have shown that the rate of the

  7. Effect of metallurgical factors on the oxidation of Zr - 1% Nb Alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soliman, H.M.

    1979-01-01

    The importance of study of the oxidation behaviour of zirconium and its niobium alloys arises from their suitability as cladding and structural materials in nuclear reactors and their use in oxidizing conditions. This work includes the oxidation behaviour of Zr - 1%Nb in both air and steam, and to less extent, zirconium was investigated in air. The effect of 1%Nb, oxidizing medium, fluoride ions contamination and thermal cycling on the oxidation behaviour has been investigated using weight gain, plastic deformation generated during oxidation, electron microscopy , metallography and X- ray techniques. The kinetics of oxidation of Zr-1%Nb alloy have been studied in the temperature range 500 - 1200 degree C and 500 - 900 degree C in both air and steam, respectively. The oxidation rate increases with temperature, Initially, the reaction proceeds with a decreasing rate ( mainly parabolic) followed by transition to a linear or acceleration, indicating breakaway. As the oxidation temperature increases, the time to breakaway transition decreases

  8. Influence of steam generator surface state on corrosion and oxide formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mazenc, Arnaud; Leclercq, Stephanie; Seyeux, Antoine; Galtayries, Anouk; Marcus, Philippe

    2012-09-01

    The corrosion and release of nickel-based alloy Steam Generator tubes are partly due to their surface state. Among the most important parameters influencing the corrosion, the effect of grain size and the effect of grain crystallographic orientation have been chosen to be studied. The aim of this study is to determine how these parameters have an impact on the corrosion of Steam Generator tubes. Thermal treatments (700 deg. C and 1050 deg. C) have been performed on several samples in Alloy 690 to obtain homogeneous grain sizes, varying from 25 μm to 110 μm. Two samples have been oxidised for four days in a recirculating autoclave, reproducing primary conditions. The changes of oxide composition and thickness were examined by ToF-SIMS on samples exposed to primary water conditions. The intensity profiles versus thicknesses of characteristic oxide anions, such as CrO - , NiO - or FeO - enable us to evaluate the effect of grain size and crystallographic orientation on the formation of an enriched inner chromium layer. As regards to the grain size, there was no effect on the growth, but smaller grains led to a chromium-rich oxide layer. The effect of crystallographic orientation was observed on the oxidation kinetics and the composition of oxide scales. (authors)

  9. Comparison of Steam Oxidation of 18%Cr Steels from Various Power Plants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Montgomery, Melanie; Hald, John

    2015-01-01

    Lean austenitic steels such as the 18%Cr TP347H have been utilized in many power plants in Denmark. Steam oxidation has been investigated for both coarse-grained and fine-grained versions of TP347H. Oxidation for coarsegrained steels follows a parabolic rate however this is not always the case fo...

  10. High Temperature Steam Oxidation Testing of Candidate Accident Tolerant Fuel Cladding Materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pint, Bruce A. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Terrani, Kurt A [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Nelson, Andrew [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Parker, Scott [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Parkison, Adam [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2013-12-23

    The Fuel Cycle Research and Development (FCRD) program’s Advanced Fuels Campaign has initiated a multifold effort aimed at facilitating development of accident tolerant fuels in order to overcome the inherent shortcomings of light water reactor (LWR) fuels when exposed to beyond design basis accident conditions. The campaign has invested in development of experimental infrastructure within the Department of Energy complex capable of chronicling the performance of a wide range of concepts under prototypic accident conditions. This report summarizes progress made at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in FY13 toward these goals. Alternative fuel cladding materials to Zircaloy for accident tolerance and a significantly extended safety margin requires oxidation resistance to steam or steam-H2 environments at ≥1200°C for short times. At ORNL, prior work focused attention on SiC, FeCr and FeCrAl as the most promising candidates for further development. Also, it was observed that elevated pressure and H2 additions had minor effects on alloy steam oxidation resistance, thus, 1 bar steam was adequate for screening potential candidates. Commercial Fe-20Cr-5Al alloys remain protective up to 1475°C in steam and CVD SiC up to 1700°C in steam. Alloy development has focused on Fe-Cr-Mn-Si-Y and Fe-Cr-Al-Y alloys with the aluminaforming alloys showing more promise. At 1200°C, ferritic binary Fe-Cr alloys required ≥25% Cr to be protective for this application. With minor alloy additions to Fe-Cr, more than 20%Cr was still required, which makes the alloy susceptible to α’ embrittlement. Based on current results, a Fe-15Cr-5Al-Y composition was selected for initial tube fabrication and welding for irradiation experiments in FY14. Evaluations of chemical vapor deposited (CVD) SiC were conducted up to 1700°C in steam. The reaction of H2O with the alumina reaction tube at 1700°C resulted in Al(OH)3

  11. Review of zircaloy oxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Iglesias, F.C. [Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario (Canada); Lewis, B.J. [Univ. of Ontario Inst. of Technology, Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science, Oshawa, Ontario (Canada)

    2013-07-01

    This paper provides an overview of the kinetics for Zircaloy clad oxidation behaviour in steam and air during reactor accident conditions. The generation of chemical heat from metal/water reaction is considered. The effect of internal clad oxidation due to Zircaloy/UO{sub 2} interaction is also discussed. Low-temperature oxidation of Zircaloy due to water-side corrosion is further described. (author)

  12. Accelerated growth of oxide film on aluminium alloys under steam: Part I: Effects of alloy chemistry and steam vapour pressure on microstructure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Din, Rameez Ud; Gudla, Visweswara C.; Jellesen, Morten S.

    2015-01-01

    of the oxide layeras well as the compactness increased with steam vapour pressure. The increase in vapour pressure also resulted in a better coverage over the intermetallic particles. Oxide layer showed a layered structure with more compact layer at the Al interface and a nano-scale needle like structure...

  13. Acoustic emission analysis on tensile failure of steam-side oxide scales formed on T22 alloy superheater tubes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Jun-Lin; Zhou, Ke-Yi, E-mail: boiler@seu.edu.cn; Xu, Jian-Qun [Key Laboratory of Energy Thermal Conversion and Control of Ministry of Education, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, Jiangsu Province (China); Wang, Xin-Meng; Tu, Yi-You [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, Jiangsu Province (China)

    2014-07-28

    Failure of steam-side oxide scales on boiler tubes can seriously influence the safety of coal-fired power plants. Uniaxial tensile tests employing acoustic emission (AE) monitoring were performed, in this work, to investigate the failure behavior of steam-side oxide scales on T22 alloy boiler superheater tubes. The characteristic frequency spectra of the captured AE signals were obtained by performing fast Fourier transform. Three distinct peak frequency bands, 100-170, 175-250, and 280-390 kHz, encountered in different testing stages were identified in the frequency spectra, which were confirmed to, respectively, correspond to substrate plastic deformation, oxide vertical cracking, and oxide spalling with the aid of scanning electronic microscopy observations, and can thus be used for distinguishing different oxide failure mechanisms. Finally, the critical cracking strain of the oxide scale and the interfacial shear strength of the oxide/substrate interface were estimated, which are the critical parameters urgently desired for modeling the failure behavior of steam-side oxide scales on boiler tubes of coal-fired power plants.

  14. Acoustic emission analysis on tensile failure of steam-side oxide scales formed on T22 alloy superheater tubes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Jun-Lin; Zhou, Ke-Yi; Wang, Xin-Meng; Tu, Yi-You; Xu, Jian-Qun

    2014-07-01

    Failure of steam-side oxide scales on boiler tubes can seriously influence the safety of coal-fired power plants. Uniaxial tensile tests employing acoustic emission (AE) monitoring were performed, in this work, to investigate the failure behavior of steam-side oxide scales on T22 alloy boiler superheater tubes. The characteristic frequency spectra of the captured AE signals were obtained by performing fast Fourier transform. Three distinct peak frequency bands, 100-170, 175-250, and 280-390 kHz, encountered in different testing stages were identified in the frequency spectra, which were confirmed to, respectively, correspond to substrate plastic deformation, oxide vertical cracking, and oxide spalling with the aid of scanning electronic microscopy observations, and can thus be used for distinguishing different oxide failure mechanisms. Finally, the critical cracking strain of the oxide scale and the interfacial shear strength of the oxide/substrate interface were estimated, which are the critical parameters urgently desired for modeling the failure behavior of steam-side oxide scales on boiler tubes of coal-fired power plants.

  15. Acoustic emission analysis on tensile failure of steam-side oxide scales formed on T22 alloy superheater tubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Jun-Lin; Zhou, Ke-Yi; Xu, Jian-Qun; Wang, Xin-Meng; Tu, Yi-You

    2014-01-01

    Failure of steam-side oxide scales on boiler tubes can seriously influence the safety of coal-fired power plants. Uniaxial tensile tests employing acoustic emission (AE) monitoring were performed, in this work, to investigate the failure behavior of steam-side oxide scales on T22 alloy boiler superheater tubes. The characteristic frequency spectra of the captured AE signals were obtained by performing fast Fourier transform. Three distinct peak frequency bands, 100-170, 175-250, and 280-390 kHz, encountered in different testing stages were identified in the frequency spectra, which were confirmed to, respectively, correspond to substrate plastic deformation, oxide vertical cracking, and oxide spalling with the aid of scanning electronic microscopy observations, and can thus be used for distinguishing different oxide failure mechanisms. Finally, the critical cracking strain of the oxide scale and the interfacial shear strength of the oxide/substrate interface were estimated, which are the critical parameters urgently desired for modeling the failure behavior of steam-side oxide scales on boiler tubes of coal-fired power plants.

  16. Oxidation and reduction of copper and iron species in steam generator deposits - Effects of hydrazine, carbohydrazide and catalyzed hydrazine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marks, C.R.; Varrin, R.D.; Gorman, J.A.; McIlree, A.R.; Stanley, R.

    2002-01-01

    It has long been suspected that oxidation and reduction of secondary side deposits in PWR steam generators have a significant influence on the onset of intergranular attack and stress corrosion cracking (IGA/SCC) of mill annealed Alloy 600 steam generator tubes. It is believed that these same processes could affect the possible future occurrence of IGA/SCC of thermally treated Alloy 600 and Alloy 690 tubes that are in newer steam generators. The working hypothesis for describing the influence of oxides on accelerated tube degradation is that deposits formed during normal operation are oxidized during lay-up. During subsequent operation, these oxidized species accelerate tube degradation by raising the electrochemical potential. (authors)

  17. Deactivation of iron oxide used in the steam-iron process to produce hydrogen

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bleeker, M.F.; Veringa, H.J.; Kersten, Sascha R.A.

    2009-01-01

    In the steam-iron process pure hydrogen can be produced from any hydrocarbon feedstock by using a redox cycle of iron oxide. One of the main problems connected to the use of the iron oxide is the inherent structural changes that take place during oxygen loading and unloading leading to severe

  18. The oxidation kinetics of zircaloy - 4 under isothermal conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos, A.M.M. dos; Cardoso, P.E.

    1982-01-01

    The oxidation kinetics of zircaloy-4 tubes was studied by means of isothermal tests in the temperature interval 500 0 C to 900 0 C. Dry oxygen and water steam, were used as oxidant agents. The results show that the oxidation kinetics law exhibits a behaviour from cubic to parabolic in the range of the time and temperatures of the experiment. Dry oxygen shows a stronger oxidation effect than water steam. A special mechanical test to study the embrittlement effect in the small samples of zircaloy tubes was used. (Author) [pt

  19. Molybdenum Disilicide Oxidation Kinetics in High Temperature Steam

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wood, Elizabeth Sooby [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Parker, Stephen Scott [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Nelson, Andrew Thomas [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2016-09-07

    The Fuel Cycle Research and Development program’s Advanced Fuels Campaign is currently supporting a range of experimental efforts aimed at the development and qualification of ‘accident tolerant’ nuclear fuel forms. One route to enhance the accident tolerance of nuclear fuel is to replace the zirconium alloy cladding, which is prone to rapid oxidation in steam at elevated temperatures, with a more oxidation-resistant cladding. Several cladding replacement solutions have been envisaged. The cladding can be completely replaced with a more oxidation resistant alloy, a layered approach can be used to optimize the strength, creep resistance, and oxidation tolerance of various materials, or the existing zirconium alloy cladding can be coated with a more oxidation-resistant material. Molybdenum is one candidate cladding material favored due to its high temperature creep resistance. However, it performs poorly under autoclave testing and suffers degradation under high temperature steam oxidation exposure. Development of composite cladding architectures consisting of a molybdenum core shielded by a molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2) coating is hypothesized to improve the performance of a Mo-based cladding system. MoSi2 was identified based on its high temperature oxidation resistance in O2 atmospheres (e.g. air and “wet air”). However, its behavior in H2O is less known. This report presents thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and x-ray diffraction (XRD) results for MoSi2 exposed to 670-1498 K water vapor. Synthetic air (80-20%, Ar-O2) exposures were also performed, and those results are presented here for a comparative analysis. It was determined that MoSi2 displays drastically different oxidation behavior in water vapor than in dry air. In the 670-1498 K temperature range, four distinct behaviors are observed. Parabolic oxidation is exhibited in only 670

  20. Characterisation of Oxides Formed on the Internal Surface of Steam Generator Tubes in Alloy 690 Corroded in the Primary Environment of Pressurised Water Reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carrette, Florence; Leclercq, Stephanie; Legras, Laurent

    2012-09-01

    Since the end of the 1990s, EDF R and D has been studying the phenomenon of corrosion product release from Steam Generator tubes in order to minimize the Source Term of the contamination and radiation exposure during operation and maintenance of Pressurised Water Reactors. With the BOREAL loop, release tests in primary water at 325 deg. C were performed on various Steam Generator tubes made of alloy 690. The experimental conditions of these tests (chemistry, temperature and hydraulics) were the same for all the tests but the results showed various behaviours towards release. For some tubes, the release was weak whereas for others, it was higher; the release rate of the tubes decreased more or less quickly with time. In order to explain these results, the internal surface of the tubes was characterised before and after the tests. Before the tests, various parameters were studied; the main parameters were the roughness, the impurities, the grain size and the cold work. The results demonstrated that it was not easy to quantify the influence of each parameter on release and to differentiate the tubes. A new parameter was proposed to characterise the internal extreme surface of SG tubes: the surface nano-hardness by nano-indentation measurements. The tubes were also observed and analysed by SEM, (X)TEM. Data obtained by (X)TEM revealed differences of the surface state (layer of perturbed microstructure, density of dislocations, grain size, impurities, initial oxide,...). After the tests, the oxides formed on the internal surface and the underlying material of the samples were characterised by SEM, (X)TEM and SIMS. The examinations showed various types of oxides. For some tubes, a duplex oxide scale was identified, for the others, only one oxide scale was observed. For equivalent durations of corrosion, the thickness of the enriched - chromium oxide layer can vary from 5 nm to 100 nm and the chemical composition can be different. The examinations of the underlying

  1. Steam reforming and oxidative steam reforming of methanol over CuO-CeO{sub 2} catalysts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Udani, P.P.C.; Gunawardana, P.V.D.S.; Lee, Hyun Chan; Kim, Dong Hyun [Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701 (Korea)

    2009-09-15

    Steam reforming (SRM) and oxidative steam reforming of methanol (OSRM) were carried out over a series of coprecipitated CuO-CeO{sub 2} catalysts with varying copper content in the range of 30-80 at.% Cu (= 100 x Cu/(Cu + Ce)). The effects of copper content, reaction temperature and O{sub 2} concentration on catalytic activity were investigated. The activity of CuO-CeO{sub 2} catalysts for SRM and OSRM increased with the copper content and 70 at.% CuO-CeO{sub 2} catalyst showed the highest activity in the temperature range of 160-300 C for both SRM and OSRM. After SRM or OSRM, the copper species in the catalysts observed by XRD were mainly metallic copper with small amount of CuO and Cu{sub 2}O, an indication that metallic copper is an active species in the catalysis of both SRM and OSRM. It was observed that the methanol conversion increased considerably with the addition of O{sub 2} into the feed stream, indicating that the partial oxidation of methanol (POM) is much faster than SRM. The optimum 70 at.% CuO-CeO{sub 2} catalyst showed stable activities for both SRM and OSRM reactions at 300 C. (author)

  2. Steam explosions of molten iron oxide drops: easier initiation at small pressurizations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, L.S.; Duda, P.M.

    1982-01-01

    Steam explosions caused by hot molten materials contacting liquid water following a possible light water nuclear reactor core overheat have been investigated by releasing single drops of a core melt simulant, molten iron oxide, into liquid water. Small steam explosions were triggered shortly afterwards by applying a pressure pulse to the water. The threshold peak pulse level above which an explosion always occurs was studied at ambient pressures between 0.083 and 1.12 MPa. It was found that the threshold decreased to a minimum in the range 0.2 - 0.8 MPa and then increased again. The effect of easier initiation as ambient pressure increases may have an important role in the triggering and propagation of a large scale steam explosion through a coarsely premixed dispersion of melt in water. (U.K.)

  3. High-temperature oxidation of advanced FeCrNi alloy in steam environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elbakhshwan, Mohamed S.; Gill, Simerjeet K.; Rumaiz, Abdul K.; Bai, Jianming; Ghose, Sanjit; Rebak, Raul B.; Ecker, Lynne E.

    2017-12-01

    Alloys of iron-chromium-nickel are being explored as alternative cladding materials to improve safety margins under severe accident conditions. Our research focuses on non-destructively investigating the oxidation behavior of the FeCrNi alloy "Alloy 33" using synchrotron-based methods. The evolution and structure of oxide layer formed in steam environments were characterized using X-ray diffraction, hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence methods and scanning electron microscopy. Our results demonstrate that a compact and continuous oxide scale was formed consisting of two layers, chromium oxide and spinel phase (FeCr2O4) oxides, wherein the concentration of the FeCr2O4 phase decreased from the surface to the bulk-oxide interface.

  4. Completion of a simulation model for calculation of static and dynamic behaviour of steam generators and its use for a pilot steam generator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seybold, M

    1979-07-20

    In the present paper, first of all the model concept reported in detail by Schittke is applied to the steady-state predictive calculation of an arbitrarily nested steam generator based on the design data and empirical values on heat discharge and heat transfer. The dynamics of the system are precalculated on the basis of the known steady-state behaviour and with the construction data, that is without experimental identification, according to the Schittke concept. The object for the calculation is a steam generator with once-through forced flow (VDE) which was put at the disposal of the Institute for Process Engineering and Steamboiler Studies. Data for the computer programs were taken only from the construction documents (geometries, nesting etc.) or from design data (thermic parameters). Parallel with the program preparation and the calculation measurements on the experimental plant were planned, adaptations and tests were carried out. The correctness of precalculating a steam generator could then be checked with the experimental plant and by comparison with the results of the measurements.

  5. Oxidation of 304 stainless steel in high-temperature steam

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishida, Toshihisa; Harayama, Yasuo; Yaguchi, Sinnosuke

    1986-08-01

    An experiment on oxidation of 304 stainless steel was performed in steam between 900°C and 1350°C, using the spare cladding of the reactor of the nuclear-powered ship Mutsu. The temperature range was appropriate for a postulated loss of coolant accident (LOCA) analysis of a LWR. The oxidation kinetics were found to obey the parabolic law during the first period of 8 min. After the first period, the parabolic reaction rate constant decreased in the case of heating temperatures between 1100°C and 1250°C. At 1250°C, especially, a marked decrease was observed in the oxide scale-forming kinetics when the surface treated initially by mechanical polishing and given a residual stress. This enhanced oxidation resistance was attributed to the presence of a chromium-enriched layer which was detected by use of an X-ray microanalyzer. The oxidation kinetics equation obtained for the first 8 min is applicable to the model calculation of a hypothetical LOCA in a LWR, employing 304 stainless steel cladding.

  6. Pressure drop, steam content and turbulent cross exchange in water/steam flows

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teichel, H.

    1978-01-01

    For describing the behaviour of two-phase flows of water and steam with the help of calculating patterns, a number of empirical correlations are required. - In this article, correlations for the friction pressure drop in water/steam flows are compared, as well as for the steam mass and the volumetric steam content with each other and with the test results on simple geometries. As the mutual effect between cooling chanels plays an important part at the longitudinal flow through bar bundles, the appertaining equations are evaluated, in addition. (orig.) 891 HP [de

  7. Development of the inner oxide zone upon steam oxidation of an austenitic stainless steel

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansson, Anette N.; Montgomery, Melanie; Somers, Marcel A. J.

    2009-01-01

    The oxidation behaviour of TP 347H FG in mixtures of water, oxygen, and hydrogen was investigated in the temperature range 500 – 700C for a fixed oxidation time of 336 h. The samples were characterised using reflective light and electron microscopy methods. Thin discontinuous double-layered oxide...

  8. The steam pressure effect on high temperature corrosion of zircaloy-4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, K. P.; Park, G. H.

    1998-01-01

    To find the effect of pressure on the high temperature oxidation of zircaloy-4, an autoclave capable of measuring the degree of oxidation at high temperatures and high pressure was manufactured. The degree of high temperature oxidation of zircaloy-4 was measured at three different conditions, high pressure steam, high pressure Ar gas with small amount of steam, and 1 atm steam. All the measurements were done at 750 deg C. The oxide thickness is much thicker in high pressure steam, comparing to that in the 1 atm steam. And, the higher is the steam pressure, the thicker becomes the oxide. No effect was observed in the case of high pressure Ar containing small amount of steam. Many cracks exist on the surface of specimens oxidized at high pressure steam, which come from the enhanced tetragonal to monoclinic phase transformation due to high pressure steam. The enhanced oxidation seems to oxide cracking

  9. Hydrogen Production via Steam Reforming of Ethyl Alcohol over Palladium/Indium Oxide Catalyst

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tetsuo Umegaki

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available We report the synergetic effect between palladium and indium oxide on hydrogen production in the steam reforming reaction of ethyl alcohol. The palladium/indium oxide catalyst shows higher hydrogen production rate than indium oxide and palladium. Palladium/indium oxide affords ketonization of ethyl alcohol with negligible by-product carbon monoxide, while indium oxide mainly affords dehydration of ethyl alcohol, and palladium affords decomposition of ethyl alcohol with large amount of by-product carbon monoxide. The catalytic feature of palladium/indium oxide can be ascribed to the formation of palladium-indium intermetallic component during the reaction as confirmed by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic measurements.

  10. Thermodynamic and kinetic modelling of fuel oxidation behaviour in operating defective fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lewis, B.J.; Thompson, W.T.; Akbari, F.; Thompson, D.M.; Thurgood, C.; Higgs, J.

    2004-01-01

    A theoretical treatment has been developed to predict the fuel oxidation behaviour in operating defective nuclear fuel elements. The equilibrium stoichiometry deviation in the hyper-stoichiometric fuel has been derived from thermodynamic considerations using a self-consistent set of thermodynamic properties for the U-O system, which emphasizes replication of solubilities and three-phase invariant conditions displayed in the U-O binary phase diagram. The kinetics model accounts for multi-phase transport including interstitial oxygen diffusion in the solid and gas-phase transport of hydrogen and steam in the fuel cracks. The fuel oxidation model is further coupled to a heat conduction model to account for the feedback effect of a reduced thermal conductivity in the hyper-stoichiometric fuel. A numerical solution has been developed using a finite-element technique with the FEMLAB software package. The model has been compared to available data from several in-reactor X-2 loop experiments with defective fuel conducted at the Chalk River Laboratories. The model has also been benchmarked against an O/U profile measurement for a spent defective fuel element discharged from a commercial reactor

  11. Statistical evaluations concerning the failure behaviour of formed parts with superheated steam flow. Pt. 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oude-Hengel, H.H.; Vorwerk, K.; Heuser, F.W.; Boesebeck, K.

    1976-01-01

    Statistical evaluations concerning the failure behaviour of formed parts with superheated-steam flow were carried out using data from VdTUEV inventory and failure statistics. Due to the great number of results, the findings will be published in two volumes. This first part will describe and classify the stock of data and will make preliminary quantitative statements on failure behaviour. More differentiated statements are made possible by including the operation time and the number of start-ups per failed part. On the basis of time-constant failure rates some materials-specific statements are given. (orig./ORU) [de

  12. Soft Sensor for Oxide Scales on the Steam Side of Superheater Tubes under Uneven Circumferential Load

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qing Wei Li

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available A soft sensor for oxide scales on the steam side of superheater tubes of utility boiler under uneven circumferential loading is proposed for the first time. First finite volume method is employed to simulate oxide scales growth temperature on the steam side of superheater tube. Then appropriate time and spatial intervals are selected to calculate oxide scales thickness along the circumferential direction. On the basis of the oxide scale thickness, the stress of oxide scales is calculated by the finite element method. At last, the oxide scale thickness and stress sensors are established on support vector machine (SMV optimized by particle swarm optimization (PSO with time and circumferential angles as inputs and oxide scale thickness and stress as outputs. Temperature and stress calculation methods are validated by the operation data and experimental data, respectively. The soft sensor is applied to the superheater tubes of some power plant. Results show that the soft sensor can give enough accurate results for oxide scale thickness and stress in reasonable time. The forecasting model provides a convenient way for the research of the oxide scale failure.

  13. Oxidation behavior of austenitic stainless steels as fuel cladding candidate materials for SCWR in superheated steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abe, Hiroshi; Hong, Seung Mo; Watanabe, Yutaka

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Effect of cold work on oxidation kinetics was clearly observed for 15Cr–20Ni SS. • The tube-shaped 15Cr–20Ni SS showed very good oxidation resistance. • The machined layer by cold drawing has a significant role to mitigate oxidation. - Abstract: Oxidation behavior of austenitic stainless steels as fuel cladding candidate materials for supercritical-water-cooled reactor (SCWR), including three types of 15Cr–20Ni stainless steels (1520 SSs), in the temperature range of 700–780 °C superheated steam have been investigated. Effect of temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), degree of cold work (CW), and machined layer by cold drawing process on the oxidation kinetics assuming power-law kinetics are discussed. Characteristics of oxide layers and its relation to oxidation behaviors are also discussed. The effect of DO on the weight gain behavior in superheated steam at 700 °C was minor for all specimens at least up to 200 ppb DO. The tube-shaped specimens of 1520 SSs showed very good oxidation resistance at 700–780 °C. There was no clear difference in the oxidation kinetics among the three investigated types of 1520 SSs. The machined layer formed at the tube surface has a significant role to mitigate oxidation in superheated steam. A fine-grained microstructure near the surface due to recrystallization by cold drawing process is effective to form the protective Cr 2 O 3 layer. It has been suggested that since Cr diffusion in the outside surface of tubes is accelerated as a result of an increased dislocation density and/or grain refinement by cold drawing, tube specimens show very slow oxidation kinetics. Breakdown of the protective Cr 2 O 3 layer and nodule oxide formation were partly observed on the tube-shaped specimens of 15Cr–20Ni SSs. The reliability of Cr 2 O 3 layer has to be carefully examined to predict the oxidation kinetics after long-term exposure

  14. Oxidation behavior of austenitic stainless steels as fuel cladding candidate materials for SCWR in superheated steam

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abe, Hiroshi, E-mail: hiroshi.abe@qse.tohoku.ac.jp; Hong, Seung Mo; Watanabe, Yutaka

    2014-12-15

    Highlights: • Effect of cold work on oxidation kinetics was clearly observed for 15Cr–20Ni SS. • The tube-shaped 15Cr–20Ni SS showed very good oxidation resistance. • The machined layer by cold drawing has a significant role to mitigate oxidation. - Abstract: Oxidation behavior of austenitic stainless steels as fuel cladding candidate materials for supercritical-water-cooled reactor (SCWR), including three types of 15Cr–20Ni stainless steels (1520 SSs), in the temperature range of 700–780 °C superheated steam have been investigated. Effect of temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), degree of cold work (CW), and machined layer by cold drawing process on the oxidation kinetics assuming power-law kinetics are discussed. Characteristics of oxide layers and its relation to oxidation behaviors are also discussed. The effect of DO on the weight gain behavior in superheated steam at 700 °C was minor for all specimens at least up to 200 ppb DO. The tube-shaped specimens of 1520 SSs showed very good oxidation resistance at 700–780 °C. There was no clear difference in the oxidation kinetics among the three investigated types of 1520 SSs. The machined layer formed at the tube surface has a significant role to mitigate oxidation in superheated steam. A fine-grained microstructure near the surface due to recrystallization by cold drawing process is effective to form the protective Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer. It has been suggested that since Cr diffusion in the outside surface of tubes is accelerated as a result of an increased dislocation density and/or grain refinement by cold drawing, tube specimens show very slow oxidation kinetics. Breakdown of the protective Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer and nodule oxide formation were partly observed on the tube-shaped specimens of 15Cr–20Ni SSs. The reliability of Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer has to be carefully examined to predict the oxidation kinetics after long-term exposure.

  15. Structural and surface changes of cobalt modified manganese oxide during activation and ethanol steam reforming reaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gac, Wojciech; Greluk, Magdalena; Słowik, Grzegorz; Turczyniak-Surdacka, Sylwia

    2018-05-01

    Surface and structural changes of unmodified manganese and cobalt-manganese oxide during activation and ethanol steam reforming reaction conditions (ESR) were studied by means of X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, temperature-programmed reduction/oxidation (TPR/TPO) and transmission electron microscopy. It was shown that synthesis of cobalt manganese oxide by the redox precipitation method led to the formation of strongly dispersed cobalt ionic species within cryptomelane-based manganese oxide structure. Development of large cube-like MnO nanoparticles with spherical cobalt metallic crystallites decorated by manganese oxide on the high oxidation state and potassium species was observed during reduction. Cobalt manganese catalyst showed high initial activity and selectivity to H2 and CO2 in ethanol stem reforming reaction in the range of 390-480 °C. The drop of ethanol conversion and changes of selectivity with the time-on-stream were observed. An increase of reaction temperature led to intensification of deactivation phenomena. TEM studies evidenced coexistence of Co and CoOx nanoparticles formed under ethanol steam reforming conditions, partially covered by filamentous and encapsulating carbonaceous deposits.

  16. Comparative Study of Micro- and Nano-structured Coatings for High-Temperature Oxidation in Steam Atmospheres

    OpenAIRE

    Pérez, F.J.; Castañeda, I.; Hierro, M.P.; Escobar Galindo, R.; Sánchez-López, J.C.; Mato, S.

    2014-01-01

    For many high-temperature applications, coatings are applied in order to protect structural materials against a wide range of different environments: oxidation, metal dusting, sulphidation, molten salts, steam, etc. The resistance achieved by the use of different kind of coatings, such as functionally graded material coatings, has been optimized with the latest designs. In the case of supercritical steam turbines, many attempts have been made in terms of micro-structural coatings design, main...

  17. Steam reforming of ethanol over Co3O4–Fe2O3 mixed oxides

    KAUST Repository

    Abdelkader, A.

    2013-05-03

    Co3O4, Fe2O3 and a mixture of the two oxides Co-Fe (molar ratio of Co3O4/Fe 2O3 = 0.67 and atomic ratio of Co/Fe = 1) were prepared by the calcination of cobalt oxalate and/or iron oxalate salts at 500 C for 2 h in static air using water as a solvent/dispersing agent. The catalysts were studied in the steam reforming of ethanol to investigate the effect of the partial substitution of Co3O4 with Fe2O 3 on the catalytic behaviour. The reforming activity over Fe 2O3, while initially high, underwent fast deactivation. In comparison, over the Co-Fe catalyst both the H2 yield and stability were higher than that found over the pure Co3O4 or Fe 2O3 catalysts. DRIFTS-MS studies under the reaction feed highlighted that the Co-Fe catalyst had increased amounts of adsorbed OH/water; similar to Fe2O3. Increasing the amount of reactive species (water/OH species) adsorbed on the Co-Fe catalyst surface is proposed to facilitate the steam reforming reaction rather than decomposition reactions reducing by-product formation and providing a higher H2 yield. © Copyright © 2012, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. TG-MS analysis and kinetic study for thermal decomposition of six representative components of municipal solid waste under steam atmosphere.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jinzhi; Chen, Tianju; Wu, Jingli; Wu, Jinhu

    2015-09-01

    Thermal decomposition of six representative components of municipal solid waste (MSW, including lignin, printing paper, cotton, rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and cabbage) was investigated by thermogravimetric-mass spectroscopy (TG-MS) under steam atmosphere. Compared with TG and derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) curves under N2 atmosphere, thermal decomposition of MSW components under steam atmosphere was divided into pyrolysis and gasification stages. In the pyrolysis stage, the shapes of TG and DTG curves under steam atmosphere were almost the same with those under N2 atmosphere. In the gasification stage, the presence of steam led to a greater mass loss because of the steam partial oxidation of char residue. The evolution profiles of H2, CH4, CO and CO2 were well consistent with DTG curves in terms of appearance of peaks and relevant stages in the whole temperature range, and the steam partial oxidation of char residue promoted the generation of more gas products in high temperature range. The multi-Gaussian distributed activation energy model (DAEM) was proved plausible to describe thermal decomposition behaviours of MSW components under steam atmosphere. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Internal steam reforming in solid oxide fuel cells: Status and opportunities of kinetic studies and their impact on modelling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mogensen, David; Grunwaldt, J.-D.; Hendriksen, Peter Vang

    2011-01-01

    Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) systems with internal steam reforming have the potential to become an economically competitive technology for cogeneration power plants, exploiting its significantly higher electrical efficiency compared to existing technologies. Optimal design and operation of such ......Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) systems with internal steam reforming have the potential to become an economically competitive technology for cogeneration power plants, exploiting its significantly higher electrical efficiency compared to existing technologies. Optimal design and operation...

  20. Bio-oil steam reforming, partial oxidation or oxidative steam reforming coupled with bio-oil dry reforming to eliminate CO{sub 2} emission

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hu, Xun [State Key Laboratory for Oxo Synthesis and Selective Oxidation, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039 (China); Lu, Gongxuan [State Key Laboratory for Oxo Synthesis and Selective Oxidation, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000 (China)

    2010-07-15

    Biomass is carbon-neutral and utilization of biomass as hydrogen resource shows no impact on atmospheric CO{sub 2} level. Nevertheless, a significant amount of CO{sub 2} is always produced in biomass gasification processes. If the CO{sub 2} produced can further react with biomass, then the biomass gasification coupled with CO{sub 2} reforming of biomass will result in a net decrease of CO{sub 2} level in atmosphere and produce the chemical raw material, syngas. To achieve this concept, a ''Y'' type reactor is developed and applied in bio-oil steam reforming, partial oxidation, or oxidative steam reforming coupled with CO{sub 2} reforming of bio-oil to eliminate the emission of CO{sub 2}. The experimental results show that the reaction systems can efficiently suppress the emission of CO{sub 2} from various reforming processes. The different coupled reaction systems generate the syngas with different molar ratio of CO/H{sub 2}. In addition, coke deposition is encountered in the different reforming processes. Both catalysts and experimental parameters significantly affect the coke deposition. Ni/La{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalyst shows much higher resistivity toward coke deposition than Ni/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalyst, while employing high reaction temperature is vital for elimination of coke deposition. Although the different coupled reaction systems show different characteristic in terms of product distribution and coke deposition, which all can serve as methods for storage of the carbon from fossil fuels or air. (author)

  1. Oxidation-induced embrittlement and structural changes of Zircaloy-4 tubing in steam at 700-1000 deg. C

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ali, A E; Huessein, A G; El-Sayed, A A; El Banna, O A [Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo (Egypt); El Raghy, S M [Cairo Univ. (Egypt). Faculty of Engineering

    1997-02-01

    The oxidation-induced embrittlement and structural changes of Zircaloy-4 (KWU-Type) tubing was investigated under light water reactors (LWR) Loss-of-Coolant. Accident conditions (LOCA) in temperature range 700-1000 deg. C. The effect of hydrogen addition to steam was also investigated in the temperature range 800-1000 deg. C. The oxidation-induced embrittlement was found to be a function of both temperature and time. Fractography investigation of oxidized tubing showed a typical brittle fracture in the stabilized-alpha zone. The microhardness measurements revealed that the alpha-Zr is harder than that near the mid-wall position. The oxidation-induced embrittlement at 900 deg. C was found to be higher than at 1000 deg. C. The results also indicated that the addition of 5% by volume hydrogen to steam resulted in an increase in the degree of embrittlement. (author). 22 refs, 9 figs, 3 tabs.

  2. Advanced on-line monitoring of power plant water/steam quality

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Perboni, G.; Rocchini, G.; Sigon, F. [Ente Nazionale per l`Energia Elettrica, Milan (Italy)

    1995-03-01

    To improve the behaviour and resistance of materials in the water-steam cycle critical components (steam generator, condensate heaters, turbine) it is necessary to adopt proper actions for promoting formation and integrity of surface protective oxide layers and preventing general and localised corrosion and transport processes of corrosion products throughout the cycle. In this report two important topics are reported: steam side corrosion in the low pressure turbines induced by the `first condensate` in the final stages of the turbine, and the stability of the oxides layers as a function of the condensate chemistry, with particular attention to the transport of corrosion products to the boiler. Furthermore an innovative technique for monitoring some physico-chemical parameters at the actual fluid temperature (150-300C) using new electrochemical sensors improved by ENEL/CRAM is studied: pH, conductivity, corrosion rate, corrosion and redox potentials.ENEL/CRAM validated on lab-scale testing loops these sensors and carried out the following programs: calibration procedures, reliability of the response, long-term stability and assessment of a reduced maintenance. Applications of the electrochemical methods to fossil fired units have demonstrated their validity for monitoring the cycle chemistry and the resistance to corrosion of structural materials in real time.

  3. Steam oxidation of TP 347H FG. Laboratory exposures versus service conditions at the power plant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hansson, Anette N. [DONG Energy A/S, Copenhagen (Denmark); Montgomery, Melanie [DONG Energy A/S, Copenhagen (Denmark); Technical Univ. of Denmark, Lyngby (Denmark). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; Vattenfall Heat Nordic, Copenhagen (Denmark)

    2010-07-01

    TP347H FG is often used as final superheater tubing at Danish Power Plants. The oxidation behaviour of TP347H FG in steam was investigated both in laboratory conditions and field conditions. Short time exposures (336 hours) were performed in the laboratory at 500, 600 and 700 C in gasses with 8 or 46% H{sub 2}O and varying oxygen partial pressures. The shortest exposure time at the power plant was 7720 h, the temperature varied between 500 and 650 C. Surprisingly, thicker oxide layers formed within the laboratory facility at 600 and 700 C than during the long time exposures at the power plant. This could not be explained by spallation. Double-layered oxides developed during oxidation. The outer layer consist of Fe-oxides and the inner oxide contained Fe and the remaining alloy elements. Investigations with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the morphology of the inner oxide was different for the two types of exposures. However, investigation using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that the inner oxide in both cases consisted of particles of Fe-Mn-Cr spinel embedded in a metallic Fe-Ni matrix in the bulk of the (former) alloy grains and Cr-rich oxide layer along the (former) alloy grain boundaries. The main difference between the layers formed at the two locations is that the Cr-rich oxide layer is thicker for the samples exposed at the power plant than that for the samples exposed at the laboratory conditions. Furthermore, the depth of Cr depletion in the alloy adjacent the oxide layer is greater for the samples exposed at the power plant compared to those exposed in the laboratory. The microstructure investigation suggests that the slower oxidation rate of TP347H FG at the power plant as compared to the laboratory is due to a larger reservoir of Cr for the samples exposed at the power plant probably combined with a higher mobility of Cr within the alloy. (orig.)

  4. Microstructural aspects of the oxidation of zirconium alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Proff, Ch.

    2011-01-01

    This thesis is focused on the microstructural characterisation of precipitates in the oxide of binary zirconium alloys (1 wt.% Fe, Cr or Ni or 0.6 wt.% Nb) under different oxidation conditions at 415 C. The samples were oxidised in autoclave in air and steam and in an environmental scanning electron microscope in water vapour. The microstructural evolution of the precipitates during oxidation was characterised using electron microscopy. The findings from the analysis are the following: -Two types of oxidation behaviour are observed for precipitates. -Pilling Bedworth ratio of precipitates is higher than that of the zirconium matrix. -Formation of pure iron oxide crystals on the surface for iron bearing precipitates close to or at the surface. From these observations it is concluded that the precipitate oxidation behaviour can be correlated to precipitate composition and oxidation tendency of the elements in the precipitates. Iron exhibits clearly different behaviour. (author)

  5. Corrosion behaviour of a stream generator tube material in simulated steam generator feedwater containing chlorides and sulphates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bojinov, M.; Kinnunen, P.; Laitinen, T.; Maekelae, K.; Saario, T.; Sirkiae, P.; Yliniemi, K. [VTT Manufacturing Technology, Espoo (Finland); Buddas, T.; Halin, M.; Tompuri, K. [Fortum Power and Heat Oy, Loviisa Power Plant (Finland)

    2002-07-01

    The goal of the present work has been to assess the effect of relatively high concentrations of anionic impurities (Cl{sup -}, SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}) on the corrosion behaviour of Ti-stabilised stainless steel SG tubes in simulated steam generator feed-water. The main observations of this work can be summarised as follows: Sulphate ions seem to be more aggressive than chloride ions towards the primary passive film on 08X18H10T stainless steel. The results may indicate that it is more important to have a low concentration of sulphate ions than of chloride ions in secondary side water when the effects of chemical conditions on tube degradation are considered. The presence of chloride ions seems to weaken the detrimental effect of sulphate ions on the stability of oxide films growing on 08X18H10T stainless steel. No localised corrosion features of 08X18H10T stainless steel were detected in the voltammetric and impedance measurements in solutions containing up to 5000 ppb sulphates, chlorides or both of the anions. (authors)

  6. Corrosion behaviour of a stream generator tube material in simulated steam generator feedwater containing chlorides and sulphates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bojinov, M.; Kinnunen, P.; Laitinen, T.; Maekelae, K.; Saario, T.; Sirkiae, P.; Yliniemi, K.; Buddas, T.; Halin, M.; Tompuri, K.

    2002-01-01

    The goal of the present work has been to assess the effect of relatively high concentrations of anionic impurities (Cl - , SO 4 2- ) on the corrosion behaviour of Ti-stabilised stainless steel SG tubes in simulated steam generator feed-water. The main observations of this work can be summarised as follows: Sulphate ions seem to be more aggressive than chloride ions towards the primary passive film on 08X18H10T stainless steel. The results may indicate that it is more important to have a low concentration of sulphate ions than of chloride ions in secondary side water when the effects of chemical conditions on tube degradation are considered. The presence of chloride ions seems to weaken the detrimental effect of sulphate ions on the stability of oxide films growing on 08X18H10T stainless steel. No localised corrosion features of 08X18H10T stainless steel were detected in the voltammetric and impedance measurements in solutions containing up to 5000 ppb sulphates, chlorides or both of the anions. (authors)

  7. Steam reforming of ethanol over Co3O4–Fe2O3 mixed oxides

    KAUST Repository

    Abdelkader, A.; Daly, H.; Saih, Y.; Morgan, K.; Mohamed, M.A.; Halawy, S.A.; Hardacre, C.

    2013-01-01

    solvent/dispersing agent. The catalysts were studied in the steam reforming of ethanol to investigate the effect of the partial substitution of Co3O4 with Fe2O 3 on the catalytic behaviour. The reforming activity over Fe 2O3, while initially high

  8. Experimental and modelling studies of iodine oxide formation and aerosol behaviour relevant to nuclear reactor accidents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dickinson, S.; Auvinen, A.; Ammar, Y.; Bosland, L.; Clément, B.; Funke, F.; Glowa, G.; Kärkelä, T.; Powers, D.A.; Tietze, S.; Weber, G.; Zhang, S.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Radiolytic reactions can influence iodine volatility following a nuclear accident. • Kinetic models have been developed based on atmospheric chemistry studies. • Properties of iodine oxide aerosols produced by radiation have been measured. • Decomposition of iodine oxides by the action of heat or radiation has been observed. - Abstract: Plant assessments have shown that iodine contributes significantly to the source term for a range of accident scenarios. Iodine has a complex chemistry that determines its chemical form and, consequently, its volatility in the containment. If volatile iodine species are formed by reactions in the containment, they will be subject to radiolytic reactions in the atmosphere, resulting in the conversion of the gaseous species into involatile iodine oxides, which may deposit on surfaces or re-dissolve in water pools. The concentration of airborne iodine in the containment will, therefore, be determined by the balance between the reactions contributing to the formation and destruction of volatile species, as well as by the physico-chemical properties of the iodine oxide aerosols which will influence their longevity in the atmosphere. This paper summarises the work that has been done in the framework of the EC SARNET (Severe Accident Research Network) to develop a greater understanding of the reactions of gaseous iodine species in irradiated air/steam atmospheres, and the nature and behaviour of the reaction products. This work has mainly been focussed on investigating the nature and behaviour of iodine oxide aerosols, but earlier work by members of the SARNET group on gaseous reaction rates is also discussed to place the more recent work into context

  9. Steam and partial oxidation reforming options for hydrogen production from fossil fuels for PEM fuel cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yousri M.A. Welaya

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEM generates electrical power from air and from hydrogen or hydrogen rich gas mixtures. Therefore, there is an increasing interest in converting current hydrocarbon based marine fuels such as natural gas, gasoline, and diesel into hydrogen rich gases acceptable to the PEM fuel cells on board ships. Using chemical flow sheeting software, the total system efficiency has been calculated. Natural gas appears to be the best fuel for hydrogen rich gas production due to its favorable composition of lower molecular weight compounds. This paper presents a study for a 250 kW net electrical power PEM fuel cell system utilizing a partial oxidation in one case study and steam reformers in the second. This study has shown that steam-reforming process is the most competitive fuel processing option in terms of fuel processing efficiency. Partial oxidation process has proved to posses the lowest fuel processing efficiency. Among the options studied, the highest fuel processing efficiency is achieved with natural gas steam reforming system.

  10. Assessment of oxygen diffusion coefficients by studying high-temperature oxidation behaviour of Zr1Nb fuel cladding in the temperature range of 1100–1300 °C

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Négyesi, M., E-mail: negy@seznam.cz [Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Trojanova 13, 120 00 Praha 2 (Czech Republic); UJP PRAHA a.s., Nad Kamínkou 1345, 156 10 Praha – Zbraslav (Czech Republic); Chmela, T. [UJP PRAHA a.s., Nad Kamínkou 1345, 156 10 Praha – Zbraslav (Czech Republic); Veselský, T. [Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Trojanova 13, 120 00 Praha 2 (Czech Republic); Krejčí, J. [Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Trojanova 13, 120 00 Praha 2 (Czech Republic); CHEMCOMEX Praha a.s., Elišky Přemyslovny 379, 156 10 Praha – Zbraslav (Czech Republic); Novotný, L.; Přibyl, A. [UJP PRAHA a.s., Nad Kamínkou 1345, 156 10 Praha – Zbraslav (Czech Republic); Bláhová, O. [New Technologies Research Centre, University of West Bohemia, Univerzitní 8, 306 14 Plzeň (Czech Republic); Burda, J. [NRI Rez plc, Husinec-Řež 130, 250 68 Řež (Czech Republic); Siegl, J. [Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Trojanova 13, 120 00 Praha 2 (Czech Republic); Vrtílková, V. [UJP PRAHA a.s., Nad Kamínkou 1345, 156 10 Praha – Zbraslav (Czech Republic)

    2015-01-15

    The paper deals with high-temperature steam oxidation behaviour of Zr1Nb fuel cladding. First of all, comprehensive experimental program was conducted to provide sufficient experimental data, such as the thicknesses of evolved phase layers and the overall weight gain kinetics, as well as the oxygen concentration and nanohardness values at phase boundaries. Afterwards, oxygen diffusion coefficients in the oxide, in the α-Zr(O) layer, in the double-phase (α + β)-Zr region, and in the β-phase region have been estimated based on the experimental data employing analytical solution of the multiphase moving boundary problem, assuming the equilibrium conditions being fulfilled at the interface boundaries. Eventually, the determined oxygen diffusion coefficients served as input into the in-house numerical code, which was designed to predict the high-temperature oxidation behaviour of Zr1Nb fuel cladding. Very good agreement has been achieved between the numerical calculations and the experimental data.

  11. Steam electrolysis by solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) with proton-conducting oxides

    KAUST Repository

    Bi, Lei; Boulfrad, Samir; Traversa, Enrico

    2014-01-01

    Energy crisis and environmental problems caused by the conventional combustion of fossil fuels boost the development of renewable and sustainable energies. H2 is regarded as a clean fuel for many applications and it also serves as an energy carrier for many renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power. Among all the technologies for H2 production, steam electrolysis by solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) has attracted much attention due to its high efficiency and low environmental impact, provided that the needed electrical power is generated from renewable sources. However, the deployment of SOECs based on conventional oxygen-ion conductors is limited by several issues, such as high operating temperature, hydrogen purification from water, and electrode stability. To avoid these problems, proton-conducting oxides are proposed as electrolyte materials for SOECs. This review paper provides a broad overview of the research progresses made for proton-conducting SOECs, summarizing the past work and finding the problems for the development of proton-conducting SOECs, as well as pointing out potential development directions.

  12. Steam electrolysis by solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) with proton-conducting oxides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bi, Lei; Boulfrad, Samir; Traversa, Enrico

    2014-12-21

    Energy crisis and environmental problems caused by the conventional combustion of fossil fuels boost the development of renewable and sustainable energies. H2 is regarded as a clean fuel for many applications and it also serves as an energy carrier for many renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power. Among all the technologies for H2 production, steam electrolysis by solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) has attracted much attention due to its high efficiency and low environmental impact, provided that the needed electrical power is generated from renewable sources. However, the deployment of SOECs based on conventional oxygen-ion conductors is limited by several issues, such as high operating temperature, hydrogen purification from water, and electrode stability. To avoid these problems, proton-conducting oxides are proposed as electrolyte materials for SOECs. This review paper provides a broad overview of the research progresses made for proton-conducting SOECs, summarizing the past work and finding the problems for the development of proton-conducting SOECs, as well as pointing out potential development directions.

  13. Creep behaviour of ZrNb1 fuel cans in argon and steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adam, E.; Stephan, M.; Wetzel, L.

    1988-01-01

    The paper is concerned with experimental investigations on the creep behaviour of fuel cans made of the ZrNb1 alloy. The isobaric-isothermal creep tests were performed in the range of temperatures from 990 K to 1290 K and with differential pressures over the can between 1.0 MPa and 2.5 MPa. They were characterized by linear heating of the test cans with 2 K/s until a given temperature was reached, followed by maintaining the cans at a constant temperature (Δ = ± 3 K) and loading it with purified argon produced internal pressure. The experiments were carried out in both an argon atmosphere surrounding the cans from outside and steam. (author)

  14. Oxidation of Alloy 82 in nominal PWR primary water at 340 deg. C and in hydrogenated steam at 400 deg. C

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaumun, Elizabeth; Guerre Catherine; Duhamel, Cecilie; Sennour, Mohamed; Curieres, Ian-de

    2012-09-01

    Nickel-base weld metals are susceptible to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) primary water. As tests in laboratory need to last, in some cases, at least several thousand hours to get stress corrosion crack initiation or propagation in simulated primary water, pure hydrogenated steam at 400 deg. C was used to perform accelerated tests. To confirm that these conditions are still representative of primary water conditions, results of oxidation tests of coupons in hydrogenated steam at 400 deg. C and in primary water at 340 deg. C have been compared. Surface oxide layers have been characterized in order to discuss the influence of the temperature and of the media (water or steam). (authors)

  15. Steam oxidation of Zr 1% Nb clads of VVER fuels in high temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Solyanyj, V.I.; Bibilashvili, Yu.K.; Dranenko, V.V.; Levin, A.Ya.; Izrajlevskij, L.B.; Morozov, A.M.

    1984-01-01

    In a wide range of accident conditions processes of clad corrosion effected by steam are rather intensive and in many respects influence the safety of NPP and the after-accident dismantling of a reactor core. This paper discusses the results of comprehensive studies into corrosion behaviour of Zr 1%Nb clads of VVER-type fuels at high temperatures. These studies are a continuation of previous work and the base for the design modelling of corrosion processes

  16. Kinetic Studies on State of the Art Solid Oxide Cells – A Comparison between Hydrogen/Steam and Reformate Fuels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Njodzefon, Jean-Claude; Graves, Christopher R.; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

    2015-01-01

    Electrochemical reaction kinetics at the electrodes of Solid Oxide Cells (SOCs) were investigated at 700 °C for two cells with different fuel electrode microstructures as well as on a third cell with a reduced active electrode area. Three fuel mixtures were investigated – hydrogen/steam and refor......Electrochemical reaction kinetics at the electrodes of Solid Oxide Cells (SOCs) were investigated at 700 °C for two cells with different fuel electrode microstructures as well as on a third cell with a reduced active electrode area. Three fuel mixtures were investigated – hydrogen....../steam fuel split into two processes with opposing temperature behavior in the reformate fuels. An 87.5% reduction in active electrode area diminishes the gas conversion impedance in the hydrogen/steam fuel at high fuel flow rates. In both reformates, the second and third lowest frequency processes merged...

  17. Thermodynamic investigation of an integrated gasification plant with solid oxide fuel cell and steam cycles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rokni, Masoud [Technical Univ. of Denmark, Lyngby (Denmark). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Energy System

    2012-07-01

    A gasification plant is integrated on the top of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cycle, while a steam turbine (ST) cycle is used as a bottoming cycle for the SOFC plant. The gasification plant was fueled by woodchips to produce biogas and the SOFC stacks were fired with biogas. The produced gas was rather clean for feeding to the SOFC stacks after a simple cleaning step. Because all the fuel cannot be burned in the SOFC stacks, a burner was used to combust the remaining fuel. The off-gases from the burner were then used to produce steam for the bottoming steam cycle in a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). The steam cycle was modeled with a simple single pressure level. In addition, a hybrid recuperator was used to recover more energy from the HRSG and send it back to the SOFC cycle. Thus two different configurations were investigated to study the plants characteristic. Such system integration configurations are completely novel and have not been studied elsewhere. Plant efficiencies of 56% were achieved under normal operation which was considerably higher than the IGCC (Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle) in which a gasification plant is integrated with a gas turbine and a steam turbine. Furthermore, it is shown that under certain operating conditions, plant efficiency of about 62 is also possible to achieve. (orig.)

  18. Redox-reversible perovskite ferrite cathode for high temperature solid oxide steam electrolyser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Zhe; Li, Shisong; Tseng, Chung-Jen; Tao, Shanwen; Xie, Kui

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Redox reversible ferrite cathode is demonstrated for solid oxide electrolyser. • Promising electrical conductivity is obtained with Pr doping in hydrogen. • High performance of steam electrolysis is achieved with ferrite cathode. - Abstract: In this work, perovskite Sr 1−x Pr x FeO 3-δ (SPF) (x = 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.10) are investigated and employed as solid oxide steam electrolyser cathode at 800 °C. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis together indicate that the Sr 1−x Pr x FeO 3-δ is redox reversible with a phase transition from cubic to orthorhombic structure in redox cycles. The doping of Pr in A site has remarkably enhanced the electronic conduction to 1.0–1.2 S cm −1 at intermediate temperatures in reducing atmosphere. Electrochemical measurements demonstrate that the polarization resistance with Sr 0.96 Pr 0.04 FeO 3-δ electrode shows the lowest values of 0.25 Ω cm 2 in symmetric cells in reducing atmosphere at 800 °C. Direct steam electrolysis with Sr 0.96 Pr 0.04 FeO 3-δ cathode shows a current density of 1.64 A cm −2 at 2.0 V when fed with 5%H 2 O/Ar. The hydrogen production rate reaches 4.73, 6.68, 8.35 and 10.23 mL min −1 cm −2 at 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2.0 V, respectively, while the highest Faraday efficiency is as high as 97.16% at 1.8 V.

  19. Oxidation kinetics of Si and SiGe by dry rapid thermal oxidation, in-situ steam generation oxidation and dry furnace oxidation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rozé, Fabien; Gourhant, Olivier; Blanquet, Elisabeth; Bertin, François; Juhel, Marc; Abbate, Francesco; Pribat, Clément; Duru, Romain

    2017-06-01

    The fabrication of ultrathin compressively strained SiGe-On-Insulator layers by the condensation technique is likely a key milestone towards low-power and high performances FD-SOI logic devices. However, the SiGe condensation technique still requires challenges to be solved for an optimized use in an industrial environment. SiGe oxidation kinetics, upon which the condensation technique is founded, has still not reached a consensus in spite of various studies which gave insights into the matter. This paper aims to bridge the gaps between these studies by covering various oxidation processes relevant to today's technological needs with a new and quantitative analysis methodology. We thus address oxidation kinetics of SiGe with three Ge concentrations (0%, 10%, and 30%) by means of dry rapid thermal oxidation, in-situ steam generation oxidation, and dry furnace oxidation. Oxide thicknesses in the 50 Å to 150 Å range grown with oxidation temperatures between 850 and 1100 °C were targeted. The present work shows first that for all investigated processes, oxidation follows a parabolic regime even for thin oxides, which indicates a diffusion-limited oxidation regime. We also observe that, for all investigated processes, the SiGe oxidation rate is systematically higher than that of Si. The amplitude of the variation of oxidation kinetics of SiGe with respect to Si is found to be strongly dependent on the process type. Second, a new quantitative analysis methodology of oxidation kinetics is introduced. This methodology allows us to highlight the dependence of oxidation kinetics on the Ge concentration at the oxidation interface, which is modulated by the pile-up mechanism. Our results show that the oxidation rate increases with the Ge concentration at the oxidation interface.

  20. Oxide growth and exfoliation of materials in steam tubing. Lesson 9

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dooley, R. Barry; Bursik, Albert

    2011-04-15

    University 101 courses are typically designed to help incoming first-year undergraduate students to adjust to the university, develop a better understanding of the college environment, and acquire essential academic success skills. Why are we offering a special Boiler and HRSG Tube Failures PPChem 101? The answer is simple, yet very conclusive: - There is a lack of knowledge on the identification of tube failure mechanisms and for the implementation of adequate counteractions in many power plants, particularly at industrial power and steam generators. - There is a lack of knowledge to prevent repeat tube failures. The vast majority of BTF/HTF have been, and continue to be, repeat failures. It is hoped that the information about the failure mechanisms of BTF supplied in this course will help to put plant engineers and chemists on the right track. The major goal of this course is the avoidance of repeat BTF. This ninth lesson is focused on Oxide Growth and Exfoliation of Materials in Steam Tubing. (orig.)

  1. Assessing the thermal-hydraulic behaviour of steam generators in a CANDU-6 type NPP in the event of MSSV blockage on the open-setting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dinca, Elena

    2004-01-01

    This work aims at achieving an analysis regarding the thermal-hydraulic behaviour of a CANDU-6 type NPP in the event of the blockage on open-setting of an MSSV (Main Steam Safety Valve) for steam relief from steam generators. The systems studied are main steam and feedwater mixture in the secondary circuit, particularly being analyzed the behaviour of the steam generators as well as the primary heat transfer and the control system of heavy water pressure and inventory in the primary system. One supposes that the MSSV blockage occurs directly after its opening in the event of an accident that led to the a steam pressure rise in the steam generators up to the threshold value of MSSV o penning. The analysis was applied to two events of initiation which lead to MSSV o penning, namely a Class IV loss of electric supply and loss of vacuum in turbine condenser. In the simulation of the events selected for analysis a long elapse of time is supposed (3600 seconds) and no operator intervention while the NPP is operating at rating power and equilibrium fuel regime. Each of the two events were analyzed for two distinct sets of conditions of event initiation and evolution. The study was focussed on the behaviour of NPP, particularly of the steam generators, and on the estimation of the amount of water in the secondary circuit released into the atmosphere during the event. The analysis is of deterministic type and supplies information required by the Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) applied to nuclear facilities in establishing the operation procedures and documentation. The analysis was based on design data for a CANDU-6 NPP and the HYDN3 code for thermal-hydraulic computation in CANDU type NPPs. In the paper there are presented the analysis, methodology, models, hypotheses and the input data as well as the analyzed cases. Within the computing code some models were developed to allow simulating the event sequences chosen for analyses. The results are plotted and

  2. Investigation on enhancing effects of Au nanoparticles on solar steam generation in graphene oxide nanofluids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fu, Yang; Mei, Tao; Wang, Gang; Guo, Ankang; Dai, Guangchao; Wang, Sheng; Wang, Jianying; Li, Jinhua; Wang, Xianbao

    2017-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Nanocomposites of graphene oxide (GO) and gold (Au) were explored to generate solar vapor under nature sunlight, and the water vaporization efficiency of GO-Au nanofluids at a temperature far below the boiling point could be up to 59.2%. - Highlights: • Graphene oxide/gold nanofluids were used to generate solar vapor under nature sunlight. • Water vaporization efficiency of GO-Au nanofluids could be up to 59.2%. • GO can be reduced to graphene by sunlight irradiation without reductants. - Abstract: Solar vapor generation enabled by nanoparticles is a green, efficient and direct approach to utilize solar energy. In this work, nanocomposites of graphene oxide (GO) and gold (Au) nanoparticles were prepared to generate solar steam under sunlight irradiation. The changes on steam pressure, mass loss and temperature of water were used to study the solar photothermal properties of GO-Au nanocomposites in water, which demonstrated that the synergistic interaction between GO nanosheets and Au nanoparticles played an active role in the photothermal effect of the nanocomposites. Trace of Au nanoparticles (15.6 wt‰) in the GO nanofluids could significantly improve the efficiency of solar vapor generation. More interestingly, the morphology and color of GO-Au nanofluids varied with irradiation times under sunlight, and our results suggested that GO sheets were reduced to graphene sheets. This process of photothermal deoxygenation of GO provides an available solution for preparing graphene sheets under ambient conditions without any reductions, and the solar steam generation method can enable potential applications like sterilization of waste, seawater desalination, and disinfection.

  3. Thermodynamic Investigation of an Integrated Gasification Plant with Solid Oxide Fuel Cell and Steam Cycles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rokni, Masoud

    2012-01-01

    A gasification plant is integrated on the top of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cycle, while a steam turbine (ST) cycle is used as a bottoming cycle for the SOFC plant. The gasification plant was fueled by woodchips to produce biogas and the SOFC stacks were fired with biogas. The produced gas...... generator (HRSG). The steam cycle was modeled with a simple single pressure level. In addition, a hybrid recuperator was used to recover more energy from the HRSG and send it back to the SOFC cycle. Thus two different configurations were investigated to study the plants characteristic. Such system...

  4. Oxidation of zirconium alloys in steam: influence of tetragonal zirconia on oxide growth mechanism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Godlewski, J.

    1990-07-01

    The oxidation of zirconium alloys in presence of steam, presents after a 'parabolic' growth law, an acceleration of the oxidation velocity. This phenomenon limits the use of zirconium alloys as nuclear fuel cladding element. In order to determine the physico-chemical process leading to this kinetic transition, two approaches have been carried out: the first one has consisted to determine the composition of the oxide layer and its evolution with the oxidation time; and the second one to determine the oxygen diffusion coefficients in the oxide layers of pre- and post-transition as well as their evolution with the oxidation time. The composition of the oxide layers has been determined by two analyses techniques: the X-ray diffraction and the laser Raman spectroscopy. This last method has allowed to confirm the presence of tetragonal zirconium oxide in the oxide layers. Analyses carried out by laser Raman spectroscopy on oxides oblique cuttings have revealed that the tetragonal zirconium oxide is transformed in monoclinic phase during the kinetic transition. A quantitative approach has allowed to corroborate the results obtained by these two techniques. In order to determine the oxygen diffusion coefficients in the oxides layers, two diffusion treatments have been carried out: 1)under low pressure with D 2 18 O 2 ) under high pressure in an autoclave with H 2 18 O. The oxygen 18 concentration profiles have been obtained by two analyses techniques: the nuclear microprobe and the secondary ions emission spectroscopy. The obtained profiles show that the mass transport is made by the volume and particularly by the grain boundaries. The corresponding diffusion coefficients have been calculated with the WHIPPLE and LE CLAIRE solution. The presence of tetragonal zirconium oxide, its relation with the kinetic transition, and the evolution of the diffusion coefficients with the oxidation time, are discussed in terms of internal stresses in the oxide layer and of the oxide layer

  5. Development of a steam generator lancing system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeong, Woo-Tae; Kim, Seok-Tae; Hong, Sung-Yull

    2006-01-01

    It is recommended to clean steam generators of nuclear power plants during plant outages. Under normal operations, sludge is created and constantly accumulates in the steam generators. The constituents of this sludge are different depending on each power plant characteristics. The sludge of the Kori Unit 1 steam generator, for example, was found to be composed of 93% ferrous oxide, 3% carbon and 1% of silica oxide and nickel oxide each. The research to develop a lancing system that would remove sludge deposits from the tubesheet of a steam generator was started in 1998 by the Korea Electric Power Research Institute (KEPRI) of the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO). The first commercial domestic lancing system in Korea, and KALANS-I Lancing System, was completed in 2000 for Kori Unit 1 for cleaning the tubesheet of its Westinghouse Delta-60 steam generator. Thereafter, the success of the development and site implementation of the KALANS-I lancing system for YGN Units 1 and 2 and Ulchin Units 3 and 4 was also realized in 2004 for sludge removal at those sites. The upper bundle cleaning system for Westinghouse model F steam generators is now under development

  6. Corrosion of Inconel-625, Hastelloy-X280 and Incoloy-800 in 550 - 750°C superheated steam. Influence of alloy heat treatment, surface treatment, steam temperature and steam velocity. Part I: Results up to 6000 hours exposure time. RCN Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tilborg, P.J. van; Linde, A. van der

    1969-10-01

    Sheet samples of Inconel-625, Hastelloy-X280 and Incoloy-800 were tested, in the solution annealed and in the solution annealed + 20% cold worked + 800°C tempered condition, in steam with a velocity of 5 m/sec. at 550, 650 and 750°C and in steam with a volocity of 15 and 85 m/sec. at 550°C. At 550°C and 750°C the samples were tested in the heat treated, annealed or tempered and the heat treated + electropolished condition. At 650°C moreover as heat treated + ground and pickled samples were tested. Post-corrosion sample investigations involved measurement of the adherent oxide thickness, the total amount of corroded metal, the metal loss to system, and the metallographic and microprobe investigation of the adherent oxide film and adjacent diffusion disturbed alloy layer. The results obtained up to 6000 hours exposure time showed that the surface treatment has a decisive influence on the corrosion behaviour of all three alloys tested. The differences in the corrosion data for the two heat treatment conditions are small. The influence of the steam velocity, as tested at 550°C, on the initial corrosion rate was surprisingly high, while the long-term linear corrosion rates are only slightly influenced by the gas velocity. In general the linear corrosion rates were low, 1-5 mg/dm 2 month, and not consistently affected by the test-temperature. The metal loss to system values were 2 <15 mg/dm 2 in the low velocity steam at all three test temperatures and <30 mg/dm 2 in the high velocity steam at 550°C. The metallographic and microprobe examinations revealed no remarkable results, as compared with the results of analogous tests reported in literature. (author)

  7. The oxidation behaviour of lanthanum implanted stainless steels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ager, F.J.; Respaldiza, M.A.; Luna, C.; Botella, J.; Soares, C.G.; da Silva, M.F.

    1997-01-01

    Rare earth oxide deposition onto stainless steel surfaces has been attempted as a way of improving corrosion resistance at elevated temperatures. The improvement in the corrosion behaviour has been related to the modification of the diffusion mechanisms through the chromia protective layer. In a previous work we have postulated the formation of a LaCrO 3 as responsible for such a behaviour. Among the alternatives to deposit reactive elements, ion implantation has been chosen as a way of obtaining surface and/or subsurface alloys with the desired composition. During ion implantation, a modification of the alloy structure may also occur, resulting in a way of testing the influence of the alloy structure on the oxidation behaviour. In the present work we propose two procedures for obtaining the refractory behaviour implantation in the bulk alloy and in controlled preoxidized layers. Ion fluency has been chosen in such a way that final rare earth element concentration falls within the limits experimentally observed as adequate using wet chemistry methods. Excellent parabolic oxidation is observed in every case showing the efficiency of the implantation method both in the implanted bulk alloy as well as in the preoxidized specimens. The differences in the oxidation kinetics are related to the surface composition and to the structure of the implanted materials. (author)

  8. Stability study in one step steam generators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abbate, P.

    1990-01-01

    The TWO program is presented developed for the behaviour limit calculation stable in one step steam generators for the case of Density Waves phenomenom. The program is based on a nodal model which, using Laplace transformation equations, allows to study the system's transfer functions and foresee the beginning of the unstable behaviour. This program has been satisfactorily validated against channels data uniformly heated in the range from 4.0 to 6.0 Mpa. Results on the CAREM reactor's steam generator analysis are presented. (Author) [es

  9. Oxidation behaviour of metallic glass foams

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barnard, B.R. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 434 Dougherty Hall, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-2200 (United States)], E-mail: bbarnard@utk.edu; Liaw, P.K. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 434 Dougherty Hall, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-2200 (United States); Demetriou, M.D.; Johnson, W.L. [Department of Materials Science, Keck Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

    2008-08-15

    In this study, the effects of porosity on the oxidation behaviour of bulk-metallic glasses were investigated. Porous Pd- and Fe-based bulk-metallic glass (BMG) foams and Metglas ribbons were studied. Oxidizing experiments were conducted at 70 deg. C, and around 80 deg. C below glass-transition temperatures, (T{sub g}s). Scanning-electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) studies revealed little evidence of oxidation at 70 deg. C. Specimens exhibited greater oxidation at T{sub g} - 80 deg. C. Oxides were copper-based for Pd-based foams, Fe-, Cr-, and Mo-based for Fe-based foams, and Co-based with borosilicates likely for the Metglas. Pd-based foams demonstrated the best oxidation resistance, followed by Metglas ribbons, followed by Fe-based foams.

  10. Zircaloy-steam reaction under a simulated loss-of-coolant accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawasaki, Satoru; Furuta, Teruo; Hashimoto, Masao

    1975-07-01

    Under a simulated loss-of-coolant condition, the reaction between zircaloy and steam and the embrittlement of the zircaloy oxidized by this reaction have been studied. The parabolic rate constant, ksub(p), in the zircaloy-steam reaction is represented as ksub(p)=3.24x10 6 exp(-40500/RT) (mg 2 /cm 4 . sec) Ring compression test was made on the steam-reacted zircaloy tubes, and following results were obtained: Embrittlement of the steam-reacted zircaloy tube increases with oxidation at each oxidation temperature. For a given quantity of the oxidation, the incursion of α-phase into β-phase is more remarkable in the specimens reacted at low temperatures than those at high temperatures. The embrittlement, however, is larger in the specimens oxidized at high temperatures than those at low temperatures. (auth.)

  11. Predictive calculations of volatilities of metals and oxides in steam-containing environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krikorian, O.H.

    1981-01-01

    Predictive methods are developed for estimating the bond energies and free energy functions of volatile species having the general formula MO/sub x/ (OH)/sub y/, in order to shed some light on the mechanisms and extent of steam accelerated volatilization processes. A specific example of applying the data is illustrated for the case of a proposed underground radioactive waste disposal process, where oxides of radionuclides are allowed to equilibrate with 100 atm steam and 10 -2 atm oxygen at 1000 to 2000K. Vapor species found to have high volatilities include Cs 2 (OH) 2 , CsOH, AmO 2 (OH) 2 , AmO(OH) 3 , UO 2 (OH) 2 , NbO(OH) 3 , PuO 2 (OH) 2 , CeO(OH) 2 , Ba(OH) 2 , and Eu(OH) 3 . Thermodynamic data are tabulated for all possible monomeric species for this specific example

  12. Oxidation behavior of Ti{sub 2}AlC in the temperature range of 1400 °C–1600 °C in steam

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tang, Chongchong, E-mail: Chongchong.tang@kit.edu; Steinbrück, Martin; Große, Mirco; Bergfeldt, Thomas; Seifert, Hans Jürgen

    2017-07-15

    The oxidation behavior of bulk Ti{sub 2}AlC ceramic in steam has been investigated in the temperature range of 1400 °C–1600 °C. The oxidation kinetics followed a sub-parabolic law at the early stage of oxidation, then tended to be a linear law beyond 18 h at 1400 °C, and obeyed a linear law during the whole exposure up to 24 h at 1500 °C. At the initial stage of oxidation at 1400 °C and 1500 °C, randomly Al{sub 2}TiO{sub 5} isolated islands with large elongated grains were observed on the surface. A continuous inner α-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer with a thin discontinuous outer layer of Al{sub 2}TiO{sub 5} formed with prolonged exposure time. Outward diffusion of Ti and C through grain boundaries of the α-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} scale during steady-state oxidation result in segregation of TiO{sub 2} at the grain boundaries of α-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and formation of gaseous CO and CO{sub 2}, respectively. The scale adhesion was reduced in steam compared to that in air due to the accumulation of stresses, and generation of voids at the scale/substrate interface. The mechanical disruption of the oxide scale to relief the stresses contribute to the breakaway oxidation of Ti{sub 2}AlC at 1400 °C and to the non-protective effect at 1500 °C. The sample was rapidly and completely consumed during isothermal oxidation at 1600 °C accompanied by release of heat and hydrogen. The maximum tolerant temperature of Ti{sub 2}AlC in steam was approximate 1555 °C, which can be extended via a tailored pre-oxidation process. - Highlights: •Breakaway oxidation of Ti{sub 2}AlC was observed in steam at 1400 °C after initial sub-parabolic oxidation kinetics. •The oxidation kinetics obeyed a linear law, showing non-protective effect of the scale, at 1500 °C. •The maximum tolerant temperature of Ti{sub 2}AlC in steam was approximate 1555 °C. •The growth and failure mechanisms of the scale were discussed.

  13. Evaporation and wet oxidation of steam generator cleaning solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baldwin, P.N. Jr.

    1996-01-01

    Ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) is used in metal-cleaning formulations. Usually the form of the EDTA used is the tetra ammonium salt. When these powerful cleaning solutions are used in steam generators, they attract the key metals of interest--iron and copper. A reduction in the volume of these cleaners and EDTA destruction is required to meet waste management and disposal standards. One method of volume reduction is described: concentration by evaporation. Once volume is reduced, the liquid waste can then be further volume reduced and treated for EDTA content through the use of wet oxidation. The effect of this process on the total organic carbon (TOC) in the form of EDTA contained in the copper as well as the iron spent cleaning solutions is reviewed, including regression analysis of selected benchmark and production data. A regressive analysis is made of the relationship between the EDTA and the TOC analyzed in the wet-oxidation batch residuals as well as the summary effects of hydrogen peroxide, sulfuric acid, and reaction time on the percentage of TOC destroyed

  14. Methane Steam Reforming over an Ni-YSZ Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Anode in Stack Configuration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mogensen, David; Grunwaldt, Jan-Dierk; Hendriksen, Peter Vang

    2014-01-01

    The kinetics of catalytic steam reforming of methane over an Ni-YSZ anode of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) have been investigated with the cell placed in a stack configuration. In order to decrease the degree of conversion, a single cell stack with reduced area was used. Measurements were...

  15. Evaluation of materials' corrosion and chemistry issues for advanced gas cooled reactor steam generators using full scale plant simulations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Woolsey, I.S.; Rudge, A.J.; Vincent, D.J.

    1998-01-01

    Advanced Gas Cooled Reactors (AGRS) employ once-through steam Generators of unique design to provide steam at approximately 530 degrees C and 155 bar to steam turbines of similar design to those of fossil plants. The steam generators are highly compact, and have either a serpentine or helical tube geometry. The tubes are heated on the outside by hot C0 2 gas, and steam is generated on the inside of the tubes. Each individual steam generator tube consists of a carbon steel feed and primary economiser section, a 9%Cr steel secondary economiser, evaporator and primary superheater, and a Type 316L austenitic stainless steel secondary superheater, all within a single tube pass. The multi-material nature of the individual tube passes, the need to maintain specific thermohydraulic conditions within the different material sections, and the difficulties of steam generator inspection and repair, have required extensive corrosion-chemistry test programmes to ensure waterside corrosion does not present a challenge to their integrity. A major part of these programmes has been the use of a full scale steam generator test facility capable of simulating all aspects of the waterside conditions which exist in the plant. This facility has been used to address a wide variety of possible plant drainage/degradation processes. These include; single- and two-phase flow accelerated corrosion of carbon steel, superheat margins requirements and the stress-corrosion behaviour of the austenitic superheaters, on-load corrosion of the evaporator materials, and iron transport and oxide deposition behaviour. The paper outlines a number of these, and indicates how they have been of value in helping to maintain reliable operation of the plant. (author)

  16. The elastic plastic behaviour of a 1/2% Cr Mo V steam turbine steel during high strain thermal fatigue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murphy, M.C.; Batte, A.D.; Stringer, M.B.

    1979-01-01

    High strain fatigue problem in steam turbine. Cyclic stress strain hysteresis loops and stress relaxation behaviour in 16 h dwell period tests. Variation of stress and strain during tests under nominally strain controlled conditions. Definition of test conditions and of criteria for crack initiation and failure. Comparison of reverse bend and push pull failure data. (orig.) 891 RW/orig. 892 RKD [de

  17. Steam purity in PWRs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hopkinson, J.

    1982-01-01

    Impurities enter the secondary loop of the PWR through both makeup water from lake or well and cooling-water leaks in the condenser. These impurities can be carried to the steam generator, where they cause corrosion deposits to form. Corrosion products in steam are swept further through the system and become concentrated at the point in the low-pressure turbine where steam begins to condense. Several plants have effectively reduced impurities, and therefore corrosion, by installing a demineralizer for the makeup water, a resin-bed system to clean condensed steam from the condenser, and a deaerator to remove oxygen from the water and so lower the risk of system metal oxidation. 5 references, 1 figure

  18. Influence of startup oxidizing transients of IGA/SCC in PWR steam generators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gorman, J.A.; McIlree, A.R.; Gaudreau, T.; Bjornkvist, L.; Andersson, P.-O.

    1998-01-01

    There is a considerable amount of evidence oxidizing conditions during and following startups are an important factor in the intergranular corrosion/stress corrosion cracking (IGA/SCC) of mill annealed alloy 600 steam generator tubes. This evidence includes plant data that indicate that the growth of IGA/SCC correlates better in some cases with numbers of startups than with time at power, laboratory tests in several plausible crevice environments that show that small amounts of copper oxides accelerate the rate of IGA/SCC, laboratory tests that show that elevating the electrochemical potential (ECP) increases the rates of IGA/SCC in many chemical environments, and laboratory tests that show that copper oxides, hematite, and other oxidized corrosion products can raise the ECP of several solution chemistries into aggressive ranges. Some preliminary data also exist that show that some amounts of oxidized species are produced during typical layup and startup conditions, but data for the subsequent reduction of these oxides are largely lacking. The purpose of this paper is to review the available evidence, to arrive at conclusions regarding the probable importance of oxidizing conditions during startup on occurrence of IGA/SCC, and to identify needed research to better quantify the situation. (author)

  19. A mathematical model of steam-drum dynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moeck, E.O.; Hinds, H.W.

    1976-12-01

    Mathematical equations describing the dynamic behaviour of pressure, water mass, etc. in a steam drum are derived from basic principles. The resultant model includes such effects as steam superheating and water subcooling as well as spontaneous flashing of liquid and condensation of vapour. Experimental data from a pressurizer are adequately predicted by the model. The pressure rise following a turbine trip can be predicted by the isentropic-compression model but not by the thermodynamic-equilibrium model. The equations are individually linearized and implemented on an analog computer in such a way that their non-linear behaviour is retained for small-perturbation studies. (author)

  20. Adiabatic Gasification and Pyrolysis of Coffee Husk Using Air-Steam for Partial Oxidation

    OpenAIRE

    Catalina Rodriguez; Gerardo Gordillo

    2011-01-01

    Colombian coffee industry produces about 0.6 million tons of husk (CH) per year which could serve as feedstock for thermal gasification to produce gaseous and liquid fuels. The current paper deals with: (i) CH adiabatic gasification modeling using air-steam blends for partial oxidation and (ii) experimental thermogravimetric analysis to determine the CH activation energy (E). The Chemical Equilibrium with Applications Program (CEA), developed by NASA, was used to estimate the effect of equiva...

  1. A fast prediction of plant behaviour in the steam generator tube rupture accident at Mihama unit 2 using a similar case

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gofuku, Akio; Tanaka, Yutaka; Numoto, Atsushi; Yoshikawa, Hidekazu.

    1996-01-01

    It is important to predict fast and accurately future trend of behaviour of a nuclear power plant in an emergency situation. The case-based reasoning is a strong tool for this purpose because it solves a problem by effectively using past similar cases. This study investigates the applicability of the case-based reasoning as a fast prediction technique of plant behaviour. This paper discusses a prediction of initial plant behaviour in the steam generator tube rupture accident happened at the Mihama nuclear power plant unit 2 by using the behaviour data of an accident of the same type happened at Prairie Island nuclear power plant unit 1. The prediction results coincide well with the reported plant behaviour although there are several important differences in the detailed plant specifications and operator actions between the two SGTR accidents. (author)

  2. Flare Temperature and Nitrogen Oxide Emission Reduction and Heat Transfer in the TGMP-314I Steam Boiler Firebox

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Makarov, A. N., E-mail: tgtu-kafedra-ese@mail.ru [Tver’ State Technical University (Russian Federation)

    2016-07-15

    Asolution is given to the problem of heat transfer in the firebox of a steam boiler, taking account of the radiation from all quadrillions of atoms constituting the flare. An innovative firebox for a steam boiler is proposed: the lower part of the firebox is a rectangular parallelepiped and the upper part a four-sided pyramid. The calculations show that in the proposed firebox the nonuniformity of the heat-flux distribution is diminished along the height and perimeter of the walls and nitrogen oxide emissions are reduced.

  3. Microstructure Evolution During Steam Oxidation of a Nb Stabilized Austenitic Stainless Steel

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansson, Anette Nørgaard; Pantleon, Karen; Grumsen, Flemming Bjerg

    2010-01-01

    The oxidation behaviour of TP 347H FG in mixtures of water, oxygen, and hydrogen was investigated at 500, 600, and 700 A degrees C for a fixed oxidation time of 336 h. The samples were characterised using X-ray diffraction, reflective light and electron microscopy methods. Thin discontinuous doub...

  4. Adiabatic Gasification and Pyrolysis of Coffee Husk Using Air-Steam for Partial Oxidation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catalina Rodriguez

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Colombian coffee industry produces about 0.6 million tons of husk (CH per year which could serve as feedstock for thermal gasification to produce gaseous and liquid fuels. The current paper deals with: (i CH adiabatic gasification modeling using air-steam blends for partial oxidation and (ii experimental thermogravimetric analysis to determine the CH activation energy (E. The Chemical Equilibrium with Applications Program (CEA, developed by NASA, was used to estimate the effect of equivalence ratio (ER and steam to fuel ratio (S : F on equilibrium temperature and gas composition of ~150 species. Also, an atom balance model was developed for comparison purposes. The results showed that increased ER and (S : F ratios produce mixtures that are rich in H2 and CO2 but poor in CO. The value for the activation energy was estimated to be 221 kJ/kmol.

  5. Wear behavior of steam generator tubes in nuclear power plant operating condition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, In-Sup; Hong, Jin-Ki; Kim, Hyung-Nam; Jang, Ki-Sang

    2003-01-01

    Reciprocating sliding wear tests were performed on steam generator tubes materials at steam generator operating temperature. The material surfaces react with oxygen to form oxides. The oxide properties such as formation rate and mechanical properties are varied with the test temperature and alloy composition. So, it is important to investigate the wear properties of each steam generator tube materials in steam generator operating condition. The tests results indicated that the wear coefficient in work rate model of alloy 690 was faster than that of alloy 800. From the scanning electron microscopy observation, the wear scars were similar each other and worn surfaces were covered with oxide layers. It seemed that the oxide layers were formed by wear debris sintering or cold welding and these layer properties affected the wear rate of steam generator tube materials. (author)

  6. Steam generators clogging diagnosis through physical and statistical modelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Girard, S.

    2012-01-01

    Steam generators are massive heat exchangers feeding the turbines of pressurised water nuclear power plants. Internal parts of steam generators foul up with iron oxides which gradually close some holes aimed for the passing of the fluid. This phenomenon called clogging causes safety issues and means to assess it are needed to optimise the maintenance strategy. The approach investigated in this thesis is the analysis of steam generators dynamic behaviour during power transients with a mono dimensional physical model. Two improvements to the model have been implemented. One was taking into account flows orthogonal to the modelling axis, the other was introducing a slip between phases accounting for velocity difference between liquid water and steam. These two elements increased the model's degrees of freedom and improved the adequacy of the simulation to plant data. A new calibration and validation methodology has been proposed to assess the robustness of the model. The initial inverse problem was ill posed: different clogging spatial configurations can produce identical responses. The relative importance of clogging, depending on its localisation, has been estimated by sensitivity analysis with the Sobol' method. The dimension of the model functional output had been previously reduced by principal components analysis. Finally, the input dimension has been reduced by a technique called sliced inverse regression. Based on this new framework, a new diagnosis methodology, more robust and better understood than the existing one, has been proposed. (author)

  7. Influence of the degree of simplification of the two-phase hydrodynamic model on the simulated behaviour dynamics of a steam generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dupont, J.F.

    1979-03-01

    The principal simplifications of a mathematical model for the simulation of behaviour dynamics of a two-phase flow with heat exchange are examined, as it appears in a steam generator. The theoretical considerations and numerical solutions permit the evaluation of the validity limits and the influence of these simplifications on the results. (G.T.H.)

  8. Co/Zr substitution in a cerium-zirconium oxide by catalytic steam reforming of bio-ethanol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vargas, J.C.; Thomas, S.; Roger, A.C.; Kiennemann, A.; Vargas, J.C.

    2006-01-01

    This work deals with the production of hydrogen by bio-ethanol catalytic steam reforming. The aim is to develop a catalyst active in ethanol conversion, selective in hydrogen and resistant to deactivation, particularly those induced by the formation of carbon deposition. The metal-support interaction being one of the keys of this challenge, catalysts in which a transition metal is inserted into an oxide by a liquid synthesis method (by the precursor method) have been developed. The initial insertion of cobalt into a cerium oxide-zirconia structure presents the advantages to increase the redox properties of the host oxide and to allow a stable reduction of a cobalt part while favoring the metal-support interaction. (O.M.)

  9. Adiabatic Fixed-Bed Gasification of Colombian Coffee Husk Using Air-Steam Blends for Partial Oxidation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Javier Bonilla

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The increasing energy consumption, mostly supplied by fossil fuels, has motivated the research and development of alternative fuel technologies to decrease the humanity’s dependence on fossil fuels, which leads to pollution of natural sources. Small-scale biomass gasification, using air-steam blends for partial oxidation, is a good alternative since biomass is a neutral carbon feedstock for sustainable energy generation. This research presents results obtained from an experimental study on coffee husk (CH gasification, using air-steam blends for partial oxidation in a 10 kW fixed-bed gasifier. Parametric studies on equivalence ratio (ER (1.53 < ER < 6.11 and steam-fuel (SF ratio (0.23 < SF < 0.89 were carried out. The results show that increasing both SF and ER results in a syngas rich in CH4 and H2 but poor in CO. Also, decreased SF and ER decrease the peak temperature (Tpeak at the gasifier combustion zone. The syngas high heating value (HHV ranged from 3112 kJ/SATPm3 to 5085 kJ/SATPm3 and its maximum value was obtained at SF = 0.87 and ER = 4.09. The dry basis molar concentrations of the species, produced under those operating conditions (1.53 < ER < 6.11 and 0.23 < SF < 0.89, were between 1.12 and 4.1% for CH4, between 7.77 and 13.49% for CO, and between 7.54 and 19.07% for H2. Other species were in trace amount.

  10. High temperature oxidation in boiler environment of chromized steel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alia, F. F.; Kurniawan, T.; Asmara, Y. P.; Ani, M. H. B.; Nandiyanto, A. B. D.

    2017-10-01

    The demand for increasing efficiency has led to the development and construction of higher operating temperature power plant. This condition may lead to more severe thickness losses in boiler tubes due to excessive corrosion process. Hence, the research to improve the corrosion resistance of the current operated material is needed so that it can be applied for higher temperature application. In this research, the effect of chromizing process on the oxidation behaviour of T91 steel was investigated under steam condition. In order to deposit chromium, mixture of chromium (Cr) powder as master alloy, halide salt (NH4Cl) powder as activator and alumina (Al2O3) powder as inert filler were inserted into alumina retort together with the steel sample and heated inside furnace at 1050°C for ten hours under argon gas environment. Furthermore, for the oxidation process, steels were exposed at 700°C at different oxidation time (6h-24h) under steam condition. From FESEM/EDX analysis, it was found that oxidation rate of pack cemented steel was lower than the un-packed steel. These results show that Cr from chromizing process was able to become reservoir for the formation of Cr2O3 in high temperature steam oxidation, and its existence can be used for a longer oxidation time.

  11. Three-dimensional modeling of nuclear steam generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bogdan, Z.; Afgan, N.

    1985-01-01

    In this paper mathematical model for steady-state simulation of thermodynamic and hydraulic behaviour of U-tube nuclear steam generator is described. The model predicts three-dimensional distribution of temperatures, pressures, steam qualities and velocities in the steam generator secondary loop. In this analysis homogeneous two phase flow model is utilized. Foe purpose of the computer implementation of the mathematical model, a special flow distribution code NUGEN was developed. Calculations are performed with the input data and geometrical characteristics related to the D-4 (westinghouse) model of U-tube nuclear steam generator built in Krsko, operating under 100% load conditions. Results are shown in diagrams giving spatial distribution of pertinent variables in the secondary loop. (author)

  12. Premixing and steam explosion phenomena in the tests with stratified melt-coolant configuration and binary oxidic melt simulant materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kudinov, Pavel, E-mail: pavel@safety.sci.kth.se; Grishchenko, Dmitry, E-mail: dmitry@safety.sci.kth.se; Konovalenko, Alexander, E-mail: kono@kth.se; Karbojian, Aram, E-mail: karbojan@kth.se

    2017-04-01

    Highlights: • Steam explosion in stratified melt-coolant configuration is studied experimentally. • Different binary oxidic melt simulant materials were used. • Five spontaneous steam explosions were observed. • Instability of melt-coolant interface and formation of premixing layer was observed. • Explosion strength is influenced by melt superheat and water subcooling. - Abstract: Steam explosion phenomena in stratified melt-coolant configuration are considered in this paper. Liquid corium layer covered by water on top can be formed in severe accident scenarios with (i) vessel failure and release of corium melt into a relatively shallow water pool; (ii) with top flooding of corium melt layer. In previous assessments of potential energetics in stratified melt-coolant configuration, it was assumed that melt and coolant are separated by a stable vapor film and there is no premixing prior to the shock wave propagation. This assumption was instrumental for concluding that the amount of energy that can be released in such configuration is not of safety importance. However, several recent experiments carried out in Pouring and Under-water Liquid Melt Spreading (PULiMS) facility with up to 78 kg of binary oxidic corium simulants mixtures have resulted in spontaneous explosions with relatively high conversion ratios (order of one percent). The instability of the melt-coolant interface, melt splashes and formation of premixing layer were observed in the tests. In this work, we present results of experiments carried out more recently in steam explosion in stratified melt-coolant configuration (SES) facility in order to shed some light on the premixing phenomena and assess the influence of the test conditions on the steam explosion energetics.

  13. Heat exchanging tube behaviour in steam generators of pressurized water reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pastor, D.; Oertel, K.

    1979-01-01

    Based on a comprehensive failure statistics, materials corrosion chemistry and thermohydraulics problems of the tubings of steam generators are considered. A historical review of failures in the tubings of steam generators in pressurized water reactors reflects the often successless measures by designers, manufacturers and operating organizations for preventing failures, especially with regard to materials selection and water regime. It is stated that laboratory tests could not give sufficient information about safe and stable operation of nuclear steam generators unless real constructive, hydrodynamic, thermodynamical and chemical conditions of operation had been taken into account. (author)

  14. Plant characteristics of an integrated solid oxide fuel cell cycle and a steam cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rokni, Masoud

    2010-01-01

    Plant characteristics of a system containing a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cycle on the top of a Rankine cycle were investigated. A desulfurization reactor removes the sulfur content in the fuel, while a pre-reformer broke down the heavier hydrocarbons in an adiabatic steam reformer (ASR). The pre-treated fuel then entered to the anode side of the SOFC. The remaining fuels after the SOFC stacks entered a catalytic burner for further combusting. The burned gases from the burner were then used to produce steam for the Rankine cycle in a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). The remaining energy of the off-gases was recycled back to the topping cycle for further utilization. Several parameter studies were carried out to investigate the sensitivity of the suggested plant. It was shown that the operation temperature of the desulfurization and the pre-reformer had no effect on the plant efficiency, which was also true when decreasing the anode temperature. However, increasing the cathode temperature had a significant effect on the plant efficiency. In addition, decreasing the SOFC utilization factor from 0.8 to 0.7, increases the plant efficiency by about 6%. An optimal plant efficiency of about 71% was achieved by optimizing the plant.

  15. Plant characteristics of an integrated solid oxide fuel cell cycle and a steam cycle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rokni, Masoud [Technical University of Denmark, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Energy System, Building 402, 2800 Kgs, Lyngby (Denmark)

    2010-12-15

    Plant characteristics of a system containing a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cycle on the top of a Rankine cycle were investigated. A desulfurization reactor removes the sulfur content in the fuel, while a pre-reformer broke down the heavier hydrocarbons in an adiabatic steam reformer (ASR). The pre-treated fuel then entered to the anode side of the SOFC. The remaining fuels after the SOFC stacks entered a catalytic burner for further combusting. The burned gases from the burner were then used to produce steam for the Rankine cycle in a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). The remaining energy of the off-gases was recycled back to the topping cycle for further utilization. Several parameter studies were carried out to investigate the sensitivity of the suggested plant. It was shown that the operation temperature of the desulfurization and the pre-reformer had no effect on the plant efficiency, which was also true when decreasing the anode temperature. However, increasing the cathode temperature had a significant effect on the plant efficiency. In addition, decreasing the SOFC utilization factor from 0.8 to 0.7, increases the plant efficiency by about 6%. An optimal plant efficiency of about 71% was achieved by optimizing the plant. (author)

  16. Surface area-burnoff correlation for the steam--graphite reaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stark, W.A. Jr.; Malinauskas, A.P.

    1977-01-01

    The oxidation of core graphite by steam of air represents a problem area of significant concern in safety analyses for the high temperature gas cooled reactor (HTGR). Core and core-support graphite integrity and strength deteriorate with oxidation of the graphite, and oxidation furthermore could affect the rate of fission product release under upset conditions. Consequently, modeling of core response during steam or air ingress conditions requires an expression for the rate of graphite interaction with those impurities. The steam--graphite reaction in particular is a complex interaction of mass transport within the graphite with chemi-sorption and reaction on accessible surfaces; experimental results from graphite to graphite are highly variable, and the description of the reaction is not yet completely consistent. A simple etch pit model relating surface area to burnoff has been proposed and shown to provide reasonable correlation with experimental data obtained from steam oxidation studies of nuclear grade H-327 graphite. Unaccounted differences between theory and experiment arise at burnoffs exceeding 3 to 5 percent. The model, while not complete nor comprehensive, is consistent with experimental observations of graphite oxidation by O 2 (air), CO 2 , or H 2 O, and could have some utility in safety analysis

  17. The ageing of CANDU steam generator due to localized corrosion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lucan, D.; Fulger, M.; Jinescu, Ghe.

    2001-01-01

    The principal types of corrosion are presented which can occur in CANDU steam generator. There are also presented the operation conditions, the specifications referring to the water chemistry and the construction materials of Steam Generator, the factors that have a great influence on the corrosion behaviour during the whole exploitation period of this equipment. The most important elements of CANDU Steam Generator ageing management program are also discussed. (R. P.)

  18. Steam oxidation resistance of Ni-aluminide/Fe-aluminide duplex coatings formed on creep resistant ferritic steels by low temperature pack cementation process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiang, Z.D.; Zeng, D.; Zhu, C.Y.; Rose, S.R.; Datta, P.K.

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → The Ni 2 Al 3 /Fe 2 Al 5 duplex coating on ferritic steel is resistant against steam oxidation at 650 o C. → The coating shows evidence of enhanced thermal stability. → The enhanced thermal stability of the coating is facilitated by thermodynamic constraints. → The lifetime of the coating can be enhanced by controlling the layer structure of the coating. - Abstract: Steam oxidation resistance and thermal stability were studied at 650 o C for a coating with an outer Ni 2 Al 3 layer and an inner Fe 2 Al 5 layer formed on P92 steel surface. The parabolic rate law of oxidation was obeyed only in less than 2000 h with positive deviations occurring at longer oxidation times. The outer layer of the coating was transformed to NiAl during oxidation, but it remained stable once it was formed. The mechanisms for the enhanced thermal stability were discussed and a simple approach to enhancing the lifetime of the coating was proposed.

  19. Oxidation behaviour of the near α-titanium alloy IMI 834

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Unknown

    Oxidation behaviour of the near α-titanium alloy IMI 834 was investigated over a range of tem- peratures, from ... perties and adequate resistance against environmental degradation. ... the change of weight of the specimen. The oxidation data.

  20. Oxidation and creep behaviour of dense silicon nitride materials with different compositions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ernstberger, U.

    1985-09-01

    The study was intended to yield information on the oxidation and creep behaviour of Si 3 N 4 materials of different composition and microstructure, and produced by different processes. The experiments carried out in a vast temperature and load range showed that the chemical grain boundary composition is the key parameter affecting the materials' high-temperature properties. Significant correlations could be established between oxidation and creep behaviour on the one hand, and between microstructure and the behaviour on the other. (orig./IHOE) [de

  1. Oxidation behaviour of zirconium alloys and their precipitates – A mechanistic study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Proff, C.; Abolhassani, S.; Lemaignan, C.

    2013-01-01

    The precipitate oxidation behaviour of binary zirconium alloys containing 1 wt.% Fe, Ni, Cr or 0.6 wt.% Nb was characterised in TEM on FIB prepared transverse sections of the oxide and reported in previous studies [1,2]. In the present study the following alloys: Zr1%Cu, Zr0.5%Cu0.5%Mo and pure Zr are analysed to add to the available information. In all cases, the observed precipitate oxidation behaviour in the oxide close to the metal-oxide interface could be described either with delayed oxidation with respect to the matrix or simultaneous oxidation as the surrounding zirconium matrix. Attempt was made to explain these observations, with different parameters such as precipitate size and structure, composition and thermodynamic properties. It was concluded that the thermodynamics with the new approach presented could explain most precisely their behaviour, considering the precipitate stoichiometry and the free energy of oxidation of the constituting elements. The surface topography of the oxidised materials, as well as the microstructure of the oxide presenting microcracks have been examined. A systematic presence of microcracks above the precipitates exhibiting delayed oxidation has been found; the height of these crack calculated using the Pilling–Bedworth ratios of different phases present, can explain their origin. The protrusions at the surface in the case of materials containing large precipitates can be unambiguously correlated to the presence of these latter, and the height can be correlated to the Pilling–Bedworth ratios of the phases present as well as the diffusion of the alloying elements to the surface and their subsequent oxidation. This latter behaviour was much more considerable in the case of Fe and Cu with Fe showing systematically diffusion to the outer surface.

  2. Influence of Gold on Ce-Zr-Co Fluorite-Type Mixed Oxide Catalysts for Ethanol Steam Reforming

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Véronique Pitchon

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available The effect of gold presence on carbon monoxide oxidation and ethanol steam reforming catalytic behavior of two Ce-Zr-Co mixed oxides catalysts with a constant Co charge and different Ce/Zr ratios was investigated. The Ce-Zr-Co mixed oxides were obtained by the pseudo sol-gel like method, based on metallic propionates polymerization and thermal decomposition, whereas the gold-supported Ce-Zr-Co mixed oxides catalysts were prepared using the direct anionic exchange. The catalysts were characterized using XRD, TPR, and EDXS-TEM. The presence of Au in doped Ce-Zr-Co oxide catalyst decreases the temperature necessary to reduce the cobalt and the cerium loaded in the catalyst and favors a different reaction pathway, improving the acetaldehyde route by ethanol dehydrogenation, instead of the ethylene route by ethanol dehydration or methane re-adsorption, thus increasing the catalytic activity and selectivity into hydrogen.

  3. Creep behaviour of porous metal supports for solid oxide fuel cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boccaccini, Dino; Frandsen, Henrik Lund; Sudireddy, Bhaskar Reddy

    2014-01-01

    The creep behaviour of porous ironechromium alloy used as solid oxide fuel cell support was investigated, and the creep parameters are compared with those of dense strips of similar composition under different testing conditions. The creep parameters were determined using a thermo......-mechanical analyser with applied stresses in the range from 1 to 15 MPa and temperatures between 650 and 800 _C. The GibsoneAshby and Mueller models developed for uniaxial creep of open-cell foams were used to analyse the results. The influence of scale formation on creep behaviour was assessed by comparing the creep...... data for the samples tested in reducing and oxidising atmospheres. The influence of preoxidation on creep behaviour was also investigated. In-situ oxidation during creep experiments increases the strain rate while pre-oxidation of samples reduces it. Debonding of scales at high stress regime plays...

  4. Mechanical properties of Ni-base superalloys in high temperature steam environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jang, Changheui; Kim, Donghoon; Sah, Injin; Lee, Ho Jung

    2015-01-01

    The effects of environmental damages on the mechanical properties of Ni-base superalloys, Alloy 617 and Haynes 230, were evaluated for VHTR-HTSE applications. Tensile tests were carried out at room temperature after ageing at 900 deg. C in vacuum, steam, and steam + 20 vol.% H2 environments up to 3 000 h. Also, creep rupture test were performed in air, steam, and steam + 20 vol.% H2 environments. The degradations such as oxidation, decarburization, and redistribution of carbides were studied in view of the interaction of materials with the environment. During the long-term ageing at 900 deg. C in vacuum, secondary phases such as M23C6 and M6C were precipitated and coarsened, which caused increase in tensile strength and decrease in ductility. For the specimens aged in steam environments, surface and internal oxides acted as preferential sites for crack initiation and consequently, decreased the tensile and creep strength. Also, the formation of decarburization region resulted in glide plane failure during tensile test and reduction in creep rupture life due to grain boundary migration and recrystallisation. During creep tests, tensile stress caused the crack and void formation in oxide layer. Consequently, fast diffusion of oxidant occurred and environmental damage were accelerated. Among the test conditions, such environmental damage was much severe in steam environments. (authors)

  5. Characterization of oxidation products on a ZrFe2-type laves intermetallic exposed to 200degreeC steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abraham, D. P.; Dietz, N.; Finnegan, N.

    2000-01-01

    The release of radioactive elements from the stainless steel-15 wt% zirconium (SS-15Zr) metal waste form will be governed by the corrosion behavior of ZrFe 2 -type intermetallics phases present in the alloy. In this article, oxidation products that formed on a ZrFe 2 -type intermetallic sample exposed to 200 C steam were characterized by Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The data revealed two oxide layers on the sample surface: an outer crystalline iron-oxide layer and an inner amorphous zirconium-rich layer believed to be zirconium oxide. Thermodynamic considerations indicate that the zirconium-rich layer formed first. The iron-oxide layer appears to have resulted from the diffusion of iron through the zirconium-rich layer to the oxide-vapor interface

  6. Steam purity in PWRs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hopkinson, J.; Passell, T.

    1982-01-01

    Reports that 2 EPRI studies of PWRs prove that impure steam triggers decay of turbine metals. Reveals that EPRI is attempting to improve steam monitoring and analysis, which are key steps on the way to deciding the most cost-effective degree of steam purity, and to upgrade demineralizing systems, which can then reliably maintain that degree of purity. Points out that 90% of all cracks in turbine disks have occurred at the dry-to-wet transition zone, dubbed the Wilson line. Explains that because even very clean water contains traces of chemical impurities with concentrations in the parts-per-billion range, Crystal River-3's secondary loop was designed with even more purification capability; a deaerator to remove oxygen and prevent oxidation of system metals, and full-flow resin beds to demineralize 100% of the secondary-loop water from the condenser. Concludes that focusing attention on steam and water chemistry can ward off cracking and sludge problems caused by corrosion

  7. High temperature oxidation behaviour of mullite coated C/C composites in air

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fritze, H.; Borchardt, G.; Weber, S.; Scherrer, S.; Weiss, R.

    1997-01-01

    Based on thermogravimetric measurements on Si-SiC-mullite coated C/C material the temperature dependence of the overall rate constant is interpreted in the temperature range 400 C 1400 C), however, the oxidation behaviour of SiC limits long term application. In this temperature range, additional outer mullite coatings produced by pulsed laser deposition improve the oxidation behaviour. (orig.)

  8. Sludge cleaning in the steam generators: sludge Lancing e IBL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Montoro, E.; Gonzalez, S.; Calderon, N.

    2013-01-01

    IBERDROLA Engineering and Construction has echoed the need for plants to remove oxide deposits (sludge) located on the secondary side, on the bottom plate and into the tube bundle steam steam generators. Therefore, and with its partner SAVAC SRA has developed a specific system consisting of applying a capillary water at very high pressure applied directly to the location of these oxides. (Author)

  9. Corrosion behaviour of construction materials for high temperature steam electrolysers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nikiforov, Aleksey; Petrushina, Irina; Christensen, Erik

    2011-01-01

    temperature proton exchange membrane (PEM) steam electrolysers. Steady-state voltammetry was used in combination with scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy to evaluate the stability of the mentioned materials. It was found that stainless steels were the least resistant...... to corrosion under strong anodic polarisation. Among alloys, Ni-based showed the highest corrosion resistance in the simulated PEM electrolyser medium. In particular, Inconel 625 was the most promising among the tested corrosion-resistant alloys for the anodic compartment in high temperature steam electrolysis...

  10. Function analysis of steam isolation valves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Persson, R.; Sjoeberg, A.; Aakesson, H.; Kilpi, K.; Noro, H.; Siikonen, T.; Wallen, G.

    1981-01-01

    Function analysis of system-medium-operated steam isolation valves has been the objective of the Swedish-Finnish IVLS project, the results of which are presented in this report. Theoretical models were to be verified against available experimental data, to some extent from the HDR blowdown experiments, which are part of a German reactor safety program. Finnish hydraulic measurements on a valve model (scale 1:2.15) have been performed to give complementary data. The analysis work has covered the thermal-hydraulic behaviour of steam isolation valves as well as phenomena related to structural mechanics. (Auth.)

  11. Die Oxydation von Intermetallischen Zirkoniumlegierungen in Sauerstoff und Wasserdampf bei 400 deg. C

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tolksdorf, E.

    1974-01-01

    The oxidation of intermetallic zirconium alloys in oxygen and steam at 400°CThe author has studied the oxidation behaviour of some intermetallic zirconium alloys in oxygen and steam. Depending on their behaviour the alloys can be divided into three categories: 1Selective oxidation of alloying...

  12. Comparison of high temperature steam oxidation behavior of Zircaloy-4 versus austenitic and ferritic steels under light water reactor safety aspects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leistikow, S.; Schanz, G.; Zurek, Z.

    1985-12-01

    A comparative study of the oxidation behavior of Zy-4 versus steel No. 1.4914 and steel No. 1.4970 was performed in high temperature steam. Reactor typical tube sections of all three materials were exposed on both sides to superheated steam at temperatures ranging from 600 to 1300 0 C for up to 6 h. The specimens were evaluated by gravimetry, metallography, and other methods. The results are presented in terms of weight gain, corresponding metal (wall) penetration and consumption as function of time and temperature. Concerning the corrosion resistance the ranking position of Zy-4 was between the austenitic and the ferritic steel. Because of the chosen wall dimensions Zy-4 and the austenitic steel behaved similarly in that the faster oxidation of the thicker Zy-4 cladding consumed the total wall thickness in a time equivalent to the slower oxidation of the thinner austenitic steel cladding. The ferritic steel cladding however was faster consumed because of the lower oxidation resistance and the thinner wall thickness compared to the austenitic steel. So besides oxide scale formation, oxygen diffusion into the bulk of the metal forming various oxygen-containing phases were evaluated - also in respect to their influence on mechanical cladding properties and the dimensional changes. (orig./HP) [de

  13. Structural behaviour of nitrogen in oxide ceramics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghauri, K.M.

    1997-01-01

    The solubility of nitrogen in molten oxides has significant consideration for two quite different types of engineering materials. The implication of a knowledge of the role of nitrogen in these oxides for refining high nitrogen steels in obvious but similar nitrogen-bearing oxide melts are of critical importance in the densification of silicon nitride ceramics. Present paper discusses structural behaviour and phase equilibria qualitatively in the light of knowledge available on slag structure through infrared and x-ray diffraction. Nitrogen solubility in glasses and related sialon based ceramics may be of paramount importance to understand the role of nitrogen in these materials as these oxides are similar in composition, structure and characteristics to sintering glasses in nitrogen ceramics. It is quite logical to infer that the same oxide model can be applied in order to massively produce nitrogen alloyed steels which are actively competing to be the materials of the next century. (author)

  14. Flow Instabilities and Main Steam Line Vibrations in a Pressurized Water Reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Henriksson, Mats; Westin, Johan; Granhall, Tord; Andersson, Lars; Bjerke, Lars-Erik

    2002-01-01

    Severe vibrational problems occurred in the main steam system of a PWR nuclear power plant, about 18 months after a steam generator replacement had been carried out. The magnitude of the vibrations reached levels at which the operators had to reduce power in order to stay within the operating limits imposed by the nuclear inspectorate. To solve the problem the following analyses methods were employed: - Testing the influence on vibration level from different modes of plant operation; - Analyses of plant measurement data; - Calculations of: hydraulic behaviour of the system, structural dynamic behaviour of the system, flow at the steam generator outlet. Scale model testing of the steam generator outlet region. Hydraulic flow disturbances in the main steam system were measured using pressure and strain gauges, which made it possible to track individual pressure pulses propagating through the main steam system. Analyses showed that the pressure pulses causing the vibration originated from the vicinity of the steam generator outlet. By using computer codes for network fluid flow analyses the pressure pulses found in the measurement traces could be generated in calculations. Careful studies of the flow at the steam generator outlet region, using model testing in a 1:3 scale model as well as transient 3D CFD calculations, gave clear indications that flow separation occurred at the steam generator outlet nozzle and at the first bend. Finally, by substituting the outlet nozzle for a different design with a multi-port nozzle, the steam line vibration problem has been solved. (authors)

  15. The oxidation behaviour of sprayed MCrAlY coatings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brandl, W.; Toma, D.; Krueger, J.

    1996-01-01

    Turbine blades are protected against high temperature oxidation by thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems, which consist of a ceramic top coating (ZrO 2 /Y 2 O 3 ) and a metal bond coating (MCrAlY, M = Ni, Co). At high temperatures and under oxidative conditions, between the MCrAlY and the ceramic top coating an oxide scale is formed, which protects the metal against further oxidation. The oxidation behaviour of the thermally sprayed MCrAlY is influenced by the coating process and the composition of the metal alloys. This work is concerned with the isothermal oxidation behaviour of vacuum plasma sprayed (VPS) MCrAlY coatings. The MCrAlY powders used have different aluminium contents: 8 and 12 wt.%. The MCrAlY specimens are oxidized at 1050 C in air as well as in helium with 1% O 2 and the oxidation kinetics are determined thermogravimetrically. The microstructure, morphology and thickness of the oxide scales formed are characterized by metallography, SEM, TEM and XRD. After short time oxidation (6 h) θ-Al 2 O 3 is the main constituent of the oxide scale. Exposure times of 500 h and more lead to oxide scales consisting of α-Al 2 O 3 . Moreover, after a long time oxidation, Cr 2 O 3 and CoO (CoO on the coatings with 8 wt.% Al) are formed. The oxidation rates of both MCrAlY coatings are the same. Beneath the oxide scale an Al-depleted zone is formed and this zone is considerably thicker within the coating with 8 wt.% Al, because the amount of β-NiAl phase in this coating is lower than that in the coating with 12 wt.% Al. The oxide scale formed in He-1% O 2 consists of α-Al 2 O 3 and Cr 2 O 3 on both MCrAlY coatings. (orig.)

  16. Synthesis, characterization and oxidative behaviour of dioxoruthenium(VI) complexes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Agarwal, D.D.; Rastogi, Rachana

    1995-01-01

    Dioxoruthenium(VI) complexes are found to give low yield of epoxide but good yield of cyclohexanone. The complexes are electro active giving metal centered Ru VI /Ru V couple. Cis-stilbene gives trans epoxide and benzaldehyde. Norbornene gives exo epoxy norbornene. The selectivity for allylic oxidation is high. In the present note the synthesis of dioxoruthenium(VI) complexes and their oxidation behaviour is reported. The dioxoruthenium(VI) complexes have been stoichiometrically found to be good oxidants. (author). 21 refs., 1 tab

  17. Dynamic behaviour of CANDU reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Subramanian, M.G.; Srikantiah, G.; Pai, M.A.

    1976-01-01

    Understanding of the dynamic behaviour of a reactor system in a power station is essential for evolving control stragies as well as design modifications. The dynamic behaviour of Rajasthan Atomic Power Station is studied. Mathematical models for the reactor, the steam generator and the steam drum with the natural circulation loop are developed from physical principles like conservation of mass, momentum and energy. Each of these models is then simulated on a digital computer to obtain the characteristics during transients. The models are then combined to yield a dynamic mathematical model of the system comprising the reactor, the steam generator and the steam drum and this results in a nonlinear model. Using this model, responses of the system for various disturbances like step change in the area of the steam valve, step change in the temperature of feed water are obtained and are discussed. These models could be used to devise new control laws using optimal control theory or to evaluate the performance of existing control schemes. (author)

  18. Comparative analysis of graphite oxidation behaviour based on microstructure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Badenhorst, Heinrich, E-mail: heinrich.badenhorst@up.ac.za; Focke, Walter

    2013-11-15

    Two unidentified powdered graphite samples, from a natural and a synthetic origin respectively, were examined. These materials are intended for use in nuclear applications, but have an unknown treatment history since they are considered proprietary. In order to establish a baseline for comparison, the samples were compared to two commercial flake natural graphite samples with varying impurity levels. The samples were characterized by conventional techniques such as powder X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence. The results indicated that all four samples were very similar, with low impurity levels and good crystallinity, yet they exhibit remarkably different oxidation behaviours. The oxidized microstructures of the materials were examined using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy at low acceleration voltages. The relative influence of each factor affecting the oxidation was established, enabling a structured comparison of the different oxidative behaviours. Based on this analysis, it was possible to account for the measured differences in oxidative reactivity. The material with the lowest reactivity was a flake natural graphite which was characterized as having highly visible crystalline perfection, large particles with a high aspect ratio and no traces of catalytic activity. The second sample, which had an identical inherent microstructure, was found to have an increased reactivity due to the presence of small catalytic impurities. This material also exhibited a more gradual reduction in the oxidation rate at higher conversion, caused by the accumulation of particles which impede the oxidation. The sample with the highest reactivity was found to be a milled, natural graphite material, despite its evident crystallinity. The increased reactivity was attributable to a smaller particle size, the presence of catalytic impurities and extensive damage to the particle structure caused by jet milling. Despite displaying the lowest levels of

  19. Lifetime evaluation of superheater tubes exposed to steam oxidation, high temperature corrosion and creep

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Henriksen, N [Elsamprojekt A/S, Faelleskemikerne, Fredericia (Denmark); Hede Larsen, O; Blum, R [I/S Fynsvaerket, Faelleskemikerne, Odense (Denmark)

    1996-12-01

    Advanced fossil fired plants operating at high steam temperatures require careful design of the superheaters. The German TRD design code normally used in Denmark is not precise enough for the design of superheaters with long lifetimes. The authors have developed a computer program to be used in the evaluation of superheater tube lifetime based on input related to tube dimensions, material, pressure, steam temperature, mass flux, heat flux and estimated corrosion rates. The program is described in the paper. As far as practically feasible, the model seems to give a true picture of the reality. For superheaters exposed to high heat fluxes or low internal heat transfer coefficients as is the case for superheaters located in fluidized bed environments or radiant environments, the program has been extremely useful for evaluation of surface temperature, oxide formation and lifetime. The total uncertainty of the method is mainly influenced by the uncertainty of the determination of the corrosion rate. More precise models describing the corrosion rate as a function of tube surface temperature, fuel parameters and boiler parameters need to be developed. (au) 21 refs.

  20. Thermoeconomic Modeling and Parametric Study of Hybrid Solid Oxide Fuel Cell â Gas Turbine â Steam Turbine Power Plants Ranging from 1.5 MWe to 10 MWe

    OpenAIRE

    Arsalis, Alexandros

    2007-01-01

    Detailed thermodynamic, kinetic, geometric, and cost models are developed, implemented, and validated for the synthesis/design and operational analysis of hybrid solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) â gas turbine (GT) â steam turbine (ST) systems ranging in size from 1.5 MWe to 10 MWe. The fuel cell model used in this thesis is based on a tubular Siemens-Westinghouse-type SOFC, which is integrated with a gas turbine and a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) integrated in turn with a steam turbi...

  1. Dual Pressure versus Hybrid Recuperation in an Integrated Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cycle – Steam Cycle

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rokni, Masoud

    2014-01-01

    A SOFC (solid oxide fuel cell) cycle running on natural gas was integrated with a ST (steam turbine) cycle. The fuel is desulfurized and pre-reformed before entering the SOFC. A burner was used to combust the remaining fuel after the SOFC stacks. The off-gases from the burner were used to produce...... pressure configuration steam cycle combined with SOFC cycle (SOFC-ST) was new and has not been studied previously. In each of the configuration, a hybrid recuperator was used to recovery the remaining energy of the off-gases after the HRSG. Thus, four different plants system setups were compared to each...... other to reveal the most superior concept with respect to plant efficiency and power. It was found that in order to increase the plant efficiency considerably, it was enough to use a single pressure with a hybrid recuperator instead of a dual pressure Rankine cycle....

  2. Droplet solidification and the potential for steam explosions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Epstein, M.; Fauske, H.K.; Luangdilok, W.

    2009-01-01

    It is well known that under certain circumstances a mixture of coarse-hot (molten) drops in water formed from pouring a hot melt into water explodes. This so-called 'steam explosion' is generally believed to involve steam-bubble-collapse-induced fine fragmentation of the melt drops and concomitant water vaporization on a timescale that is short compared with the steam pressure relief time. Motivated by the idea put forth by Okkonen and Sehgal that rapid solidification would render UO 2 -containing (Corium) melt drops stiff and resistant to the steam-bubble-collapse-induced fragmentation required to support an explosion, here we combine solidification theory with an available theory of the stability of thin, submerged crusts subject to acceleration to predict the 'cutoff time' beyond which melt-drop fragmentation is suppressed by crust cover rigidity. Illustration calculations show that the cutoff time for Corium melt drops in water is a fraction of a second and probably shorter than the time it takes to form the explosion-prerequisite-coarse-premixture configuration of melt drops in water, while the opposite is true for the molten aluminum oxide/water system for which the window of opportunity for an explosion is predicted to be several seconds. These theoretical findings are consistent with early experiments that revealed molten uranium oxide or Corium pours into water to be non-explosive and that produced steam explosions upon pouring molten aluminum oxide into water. Also in this paper, the recent TROI Corium/water interaction experiments are examined and it is concluded that they do not contravene the earlier experimental observations that the pouring of prototypical Corium mixtures into water does not result in steam explosions with destructive potential. (author)

  3. Materials Performance in USC Steam

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    G. R. Holcomb, P. Wang, P. D. Jablonski, and J. A. Hawk

    2010-05-01

    The proposed steam inlet temperature in the Advanced Ultra Supercritical (A-USC) steam turbine is high enough (760 °C) that traditional turbine casing and valve body materials such as ferritic/martensitic steels will not suffice due to temperature limitations of this class of materials. Cast versions of several traditionally wrought Ni-based superalloys were evaluated for use as casing or valve components for the next generation of industrial steam turbines. The full size castings are substantial: 2-5,000 kg each half and on the order of 100 cm thick. Experimental castings were quite a bit smaller, but section size was retained and cooling rate controlled to produce equivalent microstructures. A multi-step homogenization heat treatment was developed to better deploy the alloy constituents. The most successful of these cast alloys in terms of creep strength (Haynes 263, Haynes 282, and Nimonic 105) were subsequently evaluated by characterizing their microstructure as well as their steam oxidation resistance (at 760 and 800 °C).

  4. High-temperature oxidation behaviour of Ti 3 Si (1–)

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    ... oxidation behaviour of material is assumed to obey a three-step parabolic rate law at 1100°C and 1200°C. The calculated activation energy of isothermal oxidation is 101.43 kJ.mol-1. The oxide layers consisted of a mass of -Al2O3 and little TiO2 and SiO2 are observed on Ti3SiC2 as a dense and adhesive protect scale.

  5. High temperature oxidation behavior of austenitic stainless steel AISI 304 in steam of nanofluids contain nanoparticle ZrO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prajitno, Djoko Hadi; Syarif, Dani Gustaman

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this study is to evaluate high temperature oxidation behavior of austenitic stainless steel SS 304 in steam of nanofluids contain nanoparticle ZrO 2 . The oxidation was performed at high temperatures ranging from 600 to 800°C. The oxidation time was 60 minutes. After oxidation the surface of the samples was analyzed by different methods including, optical microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). X-ray diffraction examination show that the oxide scale formed during oxidation of stainless steel AISI 304 alloys is dominated by iron oxide, Fe 2 O 3 . Minor element such as Cr 2 O 3 is also appeared in the diffraction pattern. Characterization by optical microscope showed that cross section microstructure of stainless steel changed after oxidized with the oxide scale on the surface stainless steels. SEM and x-ray diffraction examination show that the oxide of ZrO 2 appeared on the surface of stainless steel. Kinetic rate of oxidation of austenite stainless steel AISI 304 showed that increasing oxidation temperature and time will increase oxidation rate

  6. Steam oxidation of ferritic steels: kinetics and microestructure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aríztegui, A.

    2000-06-01

    Full Text Available The ferritic 2.25Cr–1Mo steel has been subjected to isothermal and non-isothermal oxidation treatments in water steam at several temperatures ranging from 550 to 700 °C for up to 56 days. Under isothermal conditions this steel follows a parabolic oxidation kinetics, with an activation energy of 324 kJ mol–1. This value corresponds to an apparent activation energy for the global process, which includes both outward diffusion of Fe cations and inward diffusion of oxygen. The oxidation products present in the oxide scales, which were characterised by X-ray diffraction and SEM, are in total agreement with the Fe-O phase diagram. Thus, magnetite is the most stable oxide at low temperatures and wustite starts to form above 570 °C. Further studies of the effect of cooling rate have shown that wustite formed at 700 °C transforms into magnetite during a slow cooling, whereas a rapid cooling inhibits this transformation to a certain extent. For non-isothermal oxidation treatments consisting of a holding period at 550 °C followed by a single or double 4 hours exposure at 700 °C, the oxidation process seems to occur in sequence, thus presenting an additive effect of the oxidation treatments carried out at each temperature. This effect was observed both, for the type of oxide grown, and for the kinetics of the process. Microscopic observations of the oxide scales formed after the various oxidation treatments revealed that the oxide scales are constituted by sublayers of distinct microstructure and chemical composition changing from their surface to the substrate interface.

    Se han realizado tratamientos de oxidación isotermos y no isotermos a un acero ferrítico 2,25Cr–1Mo en vapor de agua, a temperaturas comprendidas entre 550 y 700 °C y tiempos de hasta 56 días. En condiciones isotermas, este acero tiene una cinética de oxidación parabólica, con una energía de activación de 324 kJ mol–1. Este valor corresponde a una energía de

  7. Steam based conversion coating on AA6060 alloy: Effect of sodium silicate chemistry and corrosion performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Din, Rameez Ud; Bordo, Kirill; Tabrizian, Naja; Jellesen, Morten Stendahl; Ambat, Rajan

    2017-11-01

    Surface treatment of aluminium alloy AA6060 using an industrially applicable pilot steam jet system with and without silicate chemistry has been investigated. Treatment using steam alone and steam with silicate, resulted in an oxide layer formation with thickness ∼425 nm and ∼160 nm, respectively. Moreover, the use of sodium silicate resulted in the formation of distinct microstructure and incorporation of silicate into the oxide film. These oxide films reduced the anodic activity 4 times, while the corrosion protection by silicate containing oxide was the function of its concentration. Further, in acid salt spray and filiform corrosion tests, oxide layer containing silicate exhibited two times higher corrosion resistance.

  8. High temperature steam oxidation of Al3Ti-based alloys for the oxidation-resistant surface layer on Zr fuel claddings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Jeong-Yong; Kim, Il-Hyun; Jung, Yang-Il; Kim, Hyun-Gil; Park, Dong-Jun; Choi, Byung-Kwon

    2013-01-01

    We investigated the feasibility to apply Al 3 Ti-based alloys as the surface layer for improving the oxidation resistance of Zr fuel claddings under accident conditions. Two types of Al 3 Ti-based alloys with the compositions of Al–25Ti–10Cr and Al–21Ti–23Cr in atomic percent were prepared by arc-melting followed by homogenization annealing at 1423 K for 48 h. Al–25Ti–10Cr alloy showed an L1 2 quasi-single phase microstructure with a lot of needle-shaped minor phase and pores. Al–21Ti–23Cr alloy consisted of an L1 2 matrix and Cr 2 Al as the second phase. Al 3 Ti-based alloys showed an extremely low oxidation rate in a 1473 K steam for up to 7200 s when compared to Zircaloy-4. Both alloys exhibited almost the same oxidation rate in the early stage of oxidation, but Al–25Ti–10Cr showed a little lower oxidation rate after 4000 s than Al–21Ti–23Cr. The difference in the oxidation rate between two types of Al 3 Ti-based alloys was too marginal to distinguish the oxidation behavior of each alloy. The resultant oxide exhibited almost the same characteristics in both alloys even though the microstructure was explicitly distinguished from each other. The crystal structure of the oxide formed up to 2000 s was identified as Al 2 O 3 in both alloys. The oxide morphology consisted of columnar grains whose length was almost identical to the average oxide thickness. On the basis of the results obtained, it is considered that Al 3 Ti-based alloy is one of the promising candidates for the oxidation-resistant surface layer on Zr fuel claddings

  9. Structured reactors as alternative to pellets catalyst for propane oxidative steam reforming

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vita, A.; Pino, L.; Cipiti, F.; Lagana, M.; Recupero, V. [CNR - Institute for Advanced Energy Technologies ' ' Nicola Giordano' ' , Via Salita S. Lucia sopra Contesse n. 5, 98126 Messina (Italy)

    2010-09-15

    The performance of a Pt/CeO{sub 2} catalyst as packed bed, coated on monolith and as self-structured bed has been evaluated during C{sub 3}H{sub 8} oxidative steam reforming. Structured bed, prepared by a new aqueous tape casting method, combining high total porosity (80%) with a self-supported channel structure, offers a better and more efficient control of heat and mass transfer along the catalytic bed, showing, especially at high gas hourly space velocity (30 x 10{sup 4} h{sup -1}), better performance in terms of fuel conversion, hydrogen production and low by-products formation coupled with an economy of the catalyst of about to 43% with respect to the traditional packed bed system. (author)

  10. Plant Characteristics of an Integrated Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cycle and a Steam Cycle

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rokni, Masoud

    2010-01-01

    Plant characteristics of a system containing a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cycle on the top of a Rankine cycle were investigated. Natural gas (NG) was used as the fuel for the plant. A desulfurization reactor removes the sulfur content in the fuel, while a pre-reformer broke down the heavier...... recovery steam generator (HRSG). The remaining energy of the off-gases was recycled back to the topping cycle for further utilization. Several parameter studies were carried out to investigate the sensitivity of the suggested plant. It was shown that the operation temperature of the desulfurization unit...

  11. Enhancing heavy oil recovery using foam injection in applications to cyclic steam stimulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Isaacs, E. [Alberta Energy Research Inst., Edmonton, AB (Canada); Yuan, J.Y. [Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., Calgary, AB (Canada)

    2008-07-01

    Cyclic steam stimulation (CSS) is a widely used heavy oil production technology. However, steam-based processes that are not stabilized can develop conformance as the steam can over-ride and channel past oil-bearing zones. This presentation discussed a refined CSS steam foaming process designed to improve recovery in marginal cycles. Laboratory studies were initially conducted to examine surfactant properties and flow behaviour in porous media. The results of numerical simulations were then applied to the steam-foaming portion of the CSS process. Results of the study showed that during the foam co-injection with steam stage, the steam injection rate did not alter. Improvement to the CSS process varied, indicating that earlier foam forming surfactant co-injection was preferable when steam-foam performance was constant in all cycles. It was concluded that the steam foaming process may improve bitumen production without requiring additional steam. 13 refs., 5 figs.

  12. Integrated Gasification SOFC Plant with a Steam Plant

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rokni, Masoud; Pierobon, Leonardo

    2011-01-01

    A hybrid Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) and Steam Turbine (ST) plant is integrated with a gasification plant. Wood chips are fed to the gasification plant to produce biogas and then this gas is fed into the anode side of a SOFC cycle to produce electricity and heat. The gases from the SOFC stacks...... enter into a burner to burn the rest of the fuel. The offgases after the burner are now used to generate steam in a Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG). The generated steam is expanded in a ST to produce additional power. Thus a triple hybrid plant based on a gasification plant, a SOFC plant...... and a steam plant is presented and studied. The plant is called as IGSS (Integrated Gasification SOFC Steam plant). Different systems layouts are presented and investigated. Electrical efficiencies up to 56% are achieved which is considerably higher than the conventional integrated gasification combined...

  13. Erosion corrosion in wet steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tavast, J.

    1988-03-01

    The effect of different remedies against erosion corrosion in wet steam has been studied in Barsebaeck 1. Accessible steam systems were inspected in 1984, 1985 and 1986. The effect of hydrogen peroxide injection of the transport of corrosion products in the condensate and feed water systems has also been followed through chemical analyses. The most important results of the project are: - Low alloy chromium steels with a chromium content of 1-2% have shown excellent resistance to erosion corrosion in wet steam. - A thermally sprayed coating has shown good resistance to erosion corrosion in wet steam. In a few areas with restricted accessibility minor attacks have been found. A thermally sprayed aluminium oxide coating has given poor results. - Large areas in the moisture separator/reheater and in steam extraction no. 3 have been passivated by injection of 20 ppb hydrogen peroxide to the high pressure steam. In other inspected systems no significant effect was found. Measurements of the wall thickness in steam extraction no. 3 showed a reduced rate of attack. - The injection of 20 ppb hydrogen peroxide has not resulted in any significant reduction of the iron level result is contrary to that of earlier tests. An increase to 40 ppb resulted in a slight decrease of the iron level. - None of the feared disadvantages with hydrogen peroxide injection has been observed. The chromium and cobalt levels did not increase during the injection. Neither did the lifetime of the precoat condensate filters decrease. (author)

  14. Mechanical design of the hot steam headers of the THTR-300 steam generators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blumer, U.; Stumpf, M.

    1988-01-01

    The high pressure steam headers of the THTR steam generators have been subject to special attention during the design phase due to the following reasons: these components are the pressure retaining parts with the heaviest wall thickness in the region of the steam generators; they therefore are sensitive to thermal transient conditions; they are operated in the elevated temperature regime, where creep effects cannot be neglected; there is almost no service experience from fossil steam generators with this type of material (Alloy 800). Safety consideration therefore have been rather extensive and have focussed on two main areas which will be treated in this paper: 1. Analytical investigations on the cyclic material behaviour under all specified operating conditions, taking into account the non-elastic response of the material. 2. Limitation of the consequences of a header rupture by installation of heavy whip restraints. Elastic-plastic-creep analyses: The analyses were performed in different stages and are explained in the corresponding order: Evaluation of the critical location on the header and establishment of a simplified model of a nozzle region for further analysis. Preliminary thermal analyses of all specified transient conditions on simplified procedures, in order to establish a severity ranking of the conditions. Establishment of representative loading blocks. Evaluation of the material properties for thermal and structural, especially non-elastic behaviour. Detailed thermal analyses. Detailed structural analyses of the non-elastic cyclic response. Extrapolation for all cycles and assessment of the results by design codes. Discussion of the results. Header whip restraint design: In addition to the above analysis efforts, heavy whip restraints were provided to assure limitation of the effects of a header failure. This pager shows the measures that were taken to restrain the movement in case of longitudinal and transverse breaks: The anti-whip designs are

  15. Experimental investigations on drying behaviour of Bulgarian brown coal in steam fluidized bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buschsieweke, F.; Koenig, J.

    1999-01-01

    The main targets were: to investigate the parameters for optimizing the drying process as steam pressure, fluidization velocity and particle size; to identify the cost of drying and combustion processes considering the necessity of milling the coal (raw or dried). Test series with Bulgarian brown coal from Maritsa-East has been made. Two fractions with different particle size was got: A from 0 to 1.6 mm (0.5 mm average) and B, resp. 1.6 to 6.3 (1.7 mm). The particle size is depending on the coal moisture. The fluidized bed process with the both fractions was performed at variations of the following parameters: steam velocity (0.07 to 1.7 m/s); raw coal feed rate (4 to 16 kg/h); raw moisture (18 to 43 wt %) and pressure (1.3 and 5 bar). Also the shrinking behaviour of the coal in different pore sizes was tested. Comparing pore size of the oven dried coal to the fluidized bed dried coal, significantly higher inner surface for the oven dried coal was established. To indicate the pore size of raw coal samples were made by freeze drying. Ice expanding should cause higher inner surface compared to oven drying method but no significant difference was established. A significant increase of heat transfer of the particles from A fraction (300 to 350 W/m 2 K0 compared to B (200 to 230 W/m 2 K) was determined. The heat transfer coefficient increased at increasing of the raw coal feed rate, mostly significant for A, due to higher particle contact. In conclusion: the particle convective mechanism is predominant for the heat transfer; development of pressurized fluidized bed drying is not of interest and the question about the total expenditure for crushing and milling remains open

  16. Synthesis and Characterization of 1D Ceria Nanomaterials for CO Oxidation and Steam Reforming of Methanol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sujan Chowdhury

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Novel one-dimensional (1D ceria nanostructure has been investigated as a promising and practical approach for the reforming of methanol reaction. Size and shape of the ceria nanomaterials are directly involved with the catalytic activities. Several general synthesis routes as including soft and hard template-assemble phenomenon for the preparation of 1D cerium oxide are discussed. This preparation phenomenon is consisting with low cost and ecofriendly. Nanometer-sized 1D structure provides a high-surface area that can interact with methanol and carbon-monoxide reaction. Overall, nanometer-sized structure provides desirable properties, such as easy recovery and regeneration. As a result, the use of 1D cerium has been suitable for catalytic application of reforming. In this paper, we describe the 1D cerium oxide syntheses route and then summarize their properties in the field of CO oxidation and steam reforming of methanol approach.

  17. Hydrogen generation monitoring and mass gain analysis during the steam oxidation for Zircaloy using hydrogen and oxygen sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fukumoto, Michihisa; Hara, Motoi; Kaneko, Hiroyuki; Sakuraba, Takuya

    2015-01-01

    The oxidation behavior of Zircaloy-4 at high temperatures in a flowing Ar-H_2O (saturated at 323 K) mixed gas was investigated using hydrogen and oxygen sensors installed at a gas outlet, and the utility of the gas sensing methods by using both sensors was examined. The generated amount of hydrogen was determined from the hydrogen partial pressure continuously measured by the hydrogen sensor, and the resultant calculated oxygen amount that reacted with the specimen was in close agreement with the mass gain gravimetrically measured after the experiment. This result demonstrated that the hydrogen partial pressure measurement using a hydrogen sensor is an effective method for examining the steam oxidation of this metal as well as monitoring the hydrogen evolution. The advantage of this method is that the oxidation rate of the metal at any time as a differential quantity is able to be obtained, compared to the oxygen amount gravimetrically measured as an integral quantity. When the temperature was periodically changed in the range of 1173 K to 1523 K, highly accurate measurements could be carried out using this gas monitoring method, although reasonable measurements were not gravimetrically performed due to the fluctuating thermo-buoyancy during the experiment. A change of the oxidation rate was clearly detected at a monoclinic tetragonal transition temperature of ZrO_2. From the calculation of the water vapor partial pressure during the thermal equilibrium condition using the hydrogen and oxygen partial pressures, it became clear that a thermal equilibrium state is maintained when the isothermal condition is maintained, but is not when the temperature increases or decreases with time. Based on these results, it was demonstrated that the gas monitoring system using hydrogen and oxygen sensors is very useful for investigating the oxidation process of the Zircaloy in steam. (author)

  18. The deformation of zircaloy PWR cladding with low internal pressures, under mainly convective cooling by steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hindle, E.D.; Mann, C.A.; Reynolds, A.E.

    1981-01-01

    The deformation behaviour is reported of specimens of Zircaloy PWR fuel cladding when directly heated in flowing steam. The range of internal pressures studied was 0.69-2.07 MPa; this extended earlier studies using higher pressures. The specimens were ramped and then held at a steady test temperature until rupture or until 600 seconds had elapsed. Under these conditions it was found that extended deformation occurred with pressures down to 1 MPa at temperatures up to 900 deg C. At lower pressures and higher temperatures there was no large extended deformation; this is believed to result from the effects of oxidation

  19. Function analysis of steam isolation valves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Persson, R.; Kilpi, K.; Noro, H.; Siikonen, T.; Sjoeberg, A.; Wallen, G.; Aakesson, H.

    1981-01-01

    Function analysis of system-medium-operated steam isolation valves has been the objective of the Swedish-Finnish IVLS project, the results of which are presented in this report. Theoretical models were to be verified against available experimental data, to some extent from the HDR blowdown experiments, which are part of a German reactor safety program. Finnish hydraulic measurements on a valve model (scale 1:2.15) have been performed to give complementary data. The analysis work has covered the thermal-hydraulic behaviour of steam isolation valves as well as phenomena related to structural mechanics. Work performed under contract with the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate. (Author)

  20. Steam based conversion coating on AA6060 alloy: Effect of sodium silicate chemistry and corrosion performance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Din, Rameez Ud; Bordo, Kirill; Tabrizian, Naja

    2017-01-01

    . Moreover, the use of sodium silicate resulted in the formation of distinct microstructure and incorporation of silicate into the oxide film. These oxide films reduced the anodic activity 4 times, while the corrosion protection by silicate containing oxide was the function of its concentration. Further......Surface treatment of aluminium alloy AA6060 using an industrially applicable pilot steam jet system with and without silicate chemistry has been investigated. Treatment using steam alone and steam with silicate, resulted in an oxide layer formation with thickness ∼425 nm and ∼160 nm, respectively......, in acid salt spray and filiform corrosion tests, oxide layer containing silicate exhibited two times higher corrosion resistance....

  1. Effects of stress on the oxide layer thickness and post-oxidation creep strain of zircaloy-4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lim, Sang Ho; Yoon, Young Ku

    1986-01-01

    Effects of compressive stress generated in the oxide layer and its subsequent relief on oxidation rate and post-oxidation creep characteristics of zircaloy-4 were investigated by oxidation studies in steam with and without applied tensile stress and by creep testing at 700 deg C in high purity argon. The thickness of oxide layer increased with the magnitude of tensile stress applied during oxidation at 650 deg C in steam whereas similar phenomenon was not observed during oxidation at 800 deg C. Zircaloy-4 specimens oxidized at 600 deg C in steam without applied stress exhibited higher creep strain than that shown by unoxidized specimens when creep-tested in argon. Zircaloy-4 specimens oxidized at 600 deg C steam under the applied stress of 8.53MPa and oxidized at 800 deg C under the applied stress of 0 and 8.53MPa exhibited lower strain than that shown by unoxidized specimen. The above experimental results were accounted for on the basis of interactions among applied stress during oxidation, compressive stress generated in the oxide layer and elasticity of zircaloy-4 matrix. (Author)

  2. Effect of coatings on long term behaviour of a commercial stainless steel for solid oxide electrolyser cell interconnect application in H2/H2O atmosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ardigo, M.R.; Popa, I.; Chevalier, S.; Girardon, P.; Perry, F.; Laucournet, R.; Brevet, A.; Desgranges, C.

    2014-01-01

    K41X (AISI 441) stainless steel evidenced a high electrical conductivity after 3000 h ageing in H 2 /H 2 O side when used as interconnect for solid oxide electrolyser cells (SOEC) working at 800 C. Perovskite (La 1-x Sr x MnO 3-δ ) and spinel (Co 3 O 4 ) oxides coatings were applied on the surface of the ferritic steel for ageing at 800 C for 3000 h. Both coatings improved the behaviour of the steel and give interesting opportunities to use the K41X steel as interconnect for hydrogen production via high temperature steam electrolysis. Co 3 O 4 reduced into Co leading to a very good Area Specific Resistance (ASR) parameter, 0.038 Ωcm 2 . Despite a good ASR (0.06 Ωcm 2 ), La 1-x Sr x MnO 3-δ was less promising because it partially decomposed into MnO and La 2 O 3 during ageing in H 2 /H 2 O atmosphere. (authors)

  3. Steam-moderated oxy-fuel combustion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seepana, Sivaji; Jayanti, Sreenivas

    2010-01-01

    The objective of the present paper is to propose a new variant of the oxy-fuel combustion for carbondioxide (CO 2 ) sequestration in which steam is used to moderate the flame temperature. In this process, pure oxygen is mixed with steam and the resulting oxidant mixture is sent to the boiler for combustion with a fossil fuel. The advantage of this method is that flue gas recirculation is avoided and the volumetric flow rates through the boiler and auxiliary components is reduced by about 39% when compared to the conventional air-fired coal combustion power plant leading to a reduction in the size of the boiler. The flue gas, after condensation of steam, consists primarily of CO 2 and can be sent directly for compression and sequestration. Flame structure analysis has been carried out using a 325-step reaction mechanism of methane-oxidant combustion to determine the concentration of oxygen required to ensure a stable flame. Thermodynamic exergy analysis has also been carried out on SMOC-operated CO 2 sequestration power plant and air-fired power plant, which shows that though the gross efficiency increases the absolute power penalty of ∼8% for CO 2 sequestration when compared to air-fired power plant.

  4. Steam-moderated oxy-fuel combustion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seepana, Sivaji; Jayanti, Sreenivas [Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras, Adyar, Chennai 600 036 (India)

    2010-10-15

    The objective of the present paper is to propose a new variant of the oxy-fuel combustion for carbondioxide (CO{sub 2}) sequestration in which steam is used to moderate the flame temperature. In this process, pure oxygen is mixed with steam and the resulting oxidant mixture is sent to the boiler for combustion with a fossil fuel. The advantage of this method is that flue gas recirculation is avoided and the volumetric flow rates through the boiler and auxiliary components is reduced by about 39% when compared to the conventional air-fired coal combustion power plant leading to a reduction in the size of the boiler. The flue gas, after condensation of steam, consists primarily of CO{sub 2} and can be sent directly for compression and sequestration. Flame structure analysis has been carried out using a 325-step reaction mechanism of methane-oxidant combustion to determine the concentration of oxygen required to ensure a stable flame. Thermodynamic exergy analysis has also been carried out on SMOC-operated CO{sub 2} sequestration power plant and air-fired power plant, which shows that though the gross efficiency increases the absolute power penalty of {proportional_to}8% for CO{sub 2} sequestration when compared to air-fired power plant. (author)

  5. High temperature oxidation behavior of austenitic stainless steel AISI 304 in steam of nanofluids contain nanoparticle ZrO2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prajitno, Djoko Hadi, E-mail: djokohp@batan.go.id; Syarif, Dani Gustaman, E-mail: djokohp@batan.go.id [Research Center for Nuclear Materials and Radiometry, Jl. Tamansari 71, Bandung 40132 (Indonesia)

    2014-03-24

    The objective of this study is to evaluate high temperature oxidation behavior of austenitic stainless steel SS 304 in steam of nanofluids contain nanoparticle ZrO{sub 2}. The oxidation was performed at high temperatures ranging from 600 to 800°C. The oxidation time was 60 minutes. After oxidation the surface of the samples was analyzed by different methods including, optical microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). X-ray diffraction examination show that the oxide scale formed during oxidation of stainless steel AISI 304 alloys is dominated by iron oxide, Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Minor element such as Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} is also appeared in the diffraction pattern. Characterization by optical microscope showed that cross section microstructure of stainless steel changed after oxidized with the oxide scale on the surface stainless steels. SEM and x-ray diffraction examination show that the oxide of ZrO{sub 2} appeared on the surface of stainless steel. Kinetic rate of oxidation of austenite stainless steel AISI 304 showed that increasing oxidation temperature and time will increase oxidation rate.

  6. Analysis of steam generator behaviour in nuclear power plant with computer program RELAP5; Analiza delovanja uparjalnika jedrske elektrarne s programom RELAP5

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zeljko, M; Gregoric, M; Peterlin, G [Institut ' Jozef Stefan' , Ljubljana (Yugoslavia)

    1983-07-01

    Analyses of nuclear power plant behaviour are made with large computer programs. We used RELAP5/MOD1/CYCLE001, which was developed in Idaho National Engineering laboratory. Input model was prepared to analyze transients in steam generator of NPP Krsko. We found out that this version had a lot of faults so we intend to implement a new cycle. First experience shows the whole complexity of such analysis from technical and economical viewpoints. (author)

  7. Vaporization of tungsten-metal in steam at high temperatures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greene, G.A.; Finfrock, C.C.

    2000-01-01

    The vaporization of tungsten from the APT spallation target dominates the radiological source term for unmitigated target overheating accidents. Chemical reactions of tungsten with steam which persist to tungsten temperatures as low as 800 C result in the formation of a hydrated tungsten-oxide which has a high vapor pressure and is readily convected in a flowing atmosphere. This low-temperature vaporization reaction essentially removes the oxide film that forms on the tungsten-metal surface as soon as it forms, leaving behind a fresh metallic surface for continued oxidation and vaporization. Experiments were conducted to measure the oxidative vaporization rates of tungsten in steam as part of the effort to quantify the MT radiological source term for severe target accidents. Tests were conducted with tungsten rods (1/8 inch diameter, six inches long) heated to temperatures from approximately 700 C to 1350 C in flowing steam which was superheated to 140 C. A total of 19 experiments was conducted. Fifteen tests were conducted by RF induction heating of single tungsten rods held vertical in a quartz glass retort. Four tests were conducted in a vertically-mounted tube furnace for the low temperature range of the test series. The aerosol which was generated and transported downstream from the tungsten rods was collected by passing the discharged steam through a condenser. This procedure insured total collection of the steam along with the aerosol from the vaporization of the rods. The results of these experiments revealed a threshold temperature for tungsten vaporization in steam. For the two tests at the lowest temperatures which were tested, approximately 700 C, the tungsten rods were observed to oxidize without vaporization. The remainder of the tests was conducted over the temperature range of 800 C to 1350 C. In these tests, the rods were found to have lost weight due to vaporization of the tungsten and the missing weight was collected in the downstream condensate

  8. Study of oxidation behaviour of Zr-based bulk amorphous alloy Zr 65 ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    The oxidation behaviour of Zr-based bulk amorphous alloy Zr65Cu17.5Ni10Al7.5 has been studied in air environment at various temperatures in the temperature range 591–684 K using a thermogravimetric analyser (TGA). The oxidation kinetics of the alloy in the amorphous phase obeys the parabolic rate law for oxidation ...

  9. Fourth international seminar on horizontal steam generators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tuomisto, H. [ed.] [IVO Group, Vantaa (Finland); Purhonen, H. [ed.] [VTT, Espoo (Finland); Kouhia, V. [ed.] [Lappeenranta Univ. of Technology (Finland)

    1997-12-31

    The general objective of the International Seminars of Horizontal Steam Generator Modelling has been the improvement in understanding of realistic thermal hydraulic behaviour of the generators when performing safety analyses for VVER reactors. The main topics presented in the fourth seminar were: thermal hydraulic experiments and analyses, primary collector integrity, feedwater distributor replacement, management of primary-to-secondary leakage accidents and new developments in the VVER safety technology. The number of participants, representing designers and manufacturers of the horizontal steam generators, plant operators, engineering companies, research organizations, universities and regulatory authorities, was 70 from 10 countries.

  10. Fourth international seminar on horizontal steam generators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tuomisto, H [ed.; IVO Group, Vantaa (Finland); Purhonen, H [ed.; VTT, Espoo (Finland); Kouhia, V [ed.; Lappeenranta Univ. of Technology (Finland)

    1998-12-31

    The general objective of the International Seminars of Horizontal Steam Generator Modelling has been the improvement in understanding of realistic thermal hydraulic behaviour of the generators when performing safety analyses for VVER reactors. The main topics presented in the fourth seminar were: thermal hydraulic experiments and analyses, primary collector integrity, feedwater distributor replacement, management of primary-to-secondary leakage accidents and new developments in the VVER safety technology. The number of participants, representing designers and manufacturers of the horizontal steam generators, plant operators, engineering companies, research organizations, universities and regulatory authorities, was 70 from 10 countries.

  11. Fourth international seminar on horizontal steam generators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tuomisto, H.; Purhonen, H.; Kouhia, V.

    1997-01-01

    The general objective of the International Seminars of Horizontal Steam Generator Modelling has been the improvement in understanding of realistic thermal hydraulic behaviour of the generators when performing safety analyses for VVER reactors. The main topics presented in the fourth seminar were: thermal hydraulic experiments and analyses, primary collector integrity, feedwater distributor replacement, management of primary-to-secondary leakage accidents and new developments in the VVER safety technology. The number of participants, representing designers and manufacturers of the horizontal steam generators, plant operators, engineering companies, research organizations, universities and regulatory authorities, was 70 from 10 countries

  12. Al-Mn CVD-FBR coating on P92 steel as protection against steam oxidation at 650 °C: TGA-MS study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castañeda, S. I.; Pérez, F. J.

    2018-02-01

    The initial stages oxidation of the P92 ferritic/martensitic steel with and without Al-Mn coating at 650 °C in Ar+40%H2O for 240 h were investigated by mass spectrometry (MS) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). TGA-MS measurements were conducted in a closed steam loop. An Al-Mn coating was deposited on P92 steel at 580 °C for 2 h by chemical vapour deposition in a fluidized bed reactor (CVD-FBR). The coating as-deposited was treated in the same reactor at 700 °C in Ar for 2h, in order to produce aluminide phases that form the protective alumina layer (Al2O3) during oxidation. MS measurements at 650 °C of the Al-Mn/P92 sample for 200 h indicated the presence of (Al-Mn-Cr-Fe-O) volatile species of small intensity. Uncoated P92 steel oxidized under the same steam oxidation conditions emitted greater intensities of volatile species of Cr, Fe and Mo in comparison with intensities from coated steel. TGA measurements verified that the mass gained by the coated sample was up to 300 times lower than for uncoated P92 steel. The morphology, composition and structure of samples by Scanning Electron Microscopy SEM, Backscattered Electron (BSE) detection, X-ray Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (EDAX) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) are described.

  13. Unsteady coupling effects of wet steam in steam turbines flows

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blondel, Frederic

    2014-01-01

    In addition to conventional turbomachinery problems, both the behavior and performances of steam turbines are highly dependent on the vapour thermodynamic state and the presence of a liquid phase. EDF, the main French electricity producer, is interested in further developing its' modelling capabilities and expertise in this area to allow for operational studies and long-term planning. This PhD thesis explores the modelling of wetness formation and growth in a steam turbine and an analysis of the coupling between the liquid phase and the main flow unsteadiness. To this end, the work in this thesis took the following approach. Wetness was accounted for using a homogeneous model coupled with transport equations to take into account the effects of non-equilibrium phenomena, such as the growth of the liquid phase and nucleation. The real gas attributes of the problem demanded adapted numerical methods. Before their implementation in the 3D elsA solver, the accuracy of the chosen models was tested using a developed one-dimensional nozzle code. In this manner, various condensation models were considered, including both poly-dispersed and monodispersed behaviours of the steam. Finally, unsteady coupling effects were observed from several perspectives (1D, 1D - 3D, 3D), demonstrating the ability of the method of moments to sustain unsteady phenomena which were not apparent in a simple monodispersed model. (author)

  14. Pick up of cesium and cobalt activity by oxide sludge in steam generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rufus, A.L.; Subramanian, H.; Velmurugan, S.; Santanu Bera; Narasimhan, S.V.; Reddy, G.L.N.; Sankara Sastry, V.

    2002-01-01

    A pinhole developed near the tube sheet in the steam generator (SG) tube of a pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR) caused leak of primary coolant containing radioactive contaminants ( 137 Cs, 134 Cs and 60 Co) to the shell side. The sludge collected from the tube sheet region was found to have adsorbed these radionuclides at the high temperature (230-240 deg C) that prevailed in the SG. An attempt has been made to evaluate the quantity of activity retained in the various oxide phases that constitute the sludge and their mode of pick-up. The sludge was characterized by XRD and XPS, which showed the presence of various oxides of iron, copper and nickel along with the silicates of calcium, magnesium and aluminium. Gamma-spectrometry of the sludge confirmed the presence of 137 Cs, 134 Cs and 60 Co to an extent of 7.6, 1.3 and 0.9 μCi/g of sludge, respectively. Selective dissolution in various EDTA based formulations and equilibration with nitric acid and magnesium chloride solutions helped to understand the quantity of activity adsorbed by various constituents of the sludge. It was concluded that a major portion of cesium was picked up by a reversible ion exchange process on various oxide constituents and about 10% by an irreversible specific adsorption process on insoluble silicates. Also, it was proved that 60 Co was specifically adsorbed over the oxides of iron and nickel. (author)

  15. Friction and wear behavior of steam-oxidized ferrous PM compacts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raj, P. Philomen-D-Anaand; GopalaKrishna, A. [Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Kakinada (India); Palaniradja, K [Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Pondicherry Engineering College, Pondicherry (India)

    2016-10-15

    This study determines density effect by assessing sintering temperature and graphite content on the dry sliding wear characteristics of steam-treated iron materials using a pin-on-disk wear test. The specimens were prepared from atomized premixed iron base powders and contained 0.1 to 1.0 wt.% carbon compacted at different densities (5.9 g/cc to 6.8 g/cc). The specimens were sintered for 1 h at different sintering temperatures (1090°C to 1130°C), and then subjected to continuous steam treatment at 540°C for 95 min through in situ Powder metallurgy (PM) technique. Steam treatment was proposed to improve the wear performances of the components of PM. Wear tests were conducted using a pin-on-disk-type machine. Load ranged from 20 N to 60 N. Sliding distance and sliding velocity of 312 m and 0.26 m/s, respectively, were adopted for all tests. Scanning electron microscope was used to analyze wear surface. Increased density and graphite content reduced the wear rate of steam-treated materials. Hardness increased with increasing graphite content. Wear mechanism, wear rate map, and wear maps were drawn for the test result data. Wear transition map identified mild, severe, and ultra-severe wear regimes as functions of applied load.

  16. Effect of surface finishing on the oxidation behaviour of a ferritic stainless steel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ardigo-Besnard, M.R., E-mail: maria-rosa.ardigo-besnard@u-bourgogne.fr [Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne (ICB), UMR 6303 CNRS—Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, BP 47870, 21078 Dijon Cedex (France); Popa, I.; Heintz, O.; Chassagnon, R. [Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne (ICB), UMR 6303 CNRS—Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, BP 47870, 21078 Dijon Cedex (France); Vilasi, M. [Institut Jean Lamour, UMR 7198 CNRS—Université de Lorraine, Parc de Saurupt, 54011 Nancy (France); Herbst, F. [Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne (ICB), UMR 6303 CNRS—Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, BP 47870, 21078 Dijon Cedex (France); Girardon, P. [APERAM, Centre de Recherche, BP15, 62330 Isbergues (France); Chevalier, S. [Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne (ICB), UMR 6303 CNRS—Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, BP 47870, 21078 Dijon Cedex (France)

    2017-08-01

    Highlights: • Study of surface finishing effect on the corrosion behaviour of a stainless steel. • Mirror polished samples were compared to as-rolled material. • Two oxidation mechanisms were identified depending on the surface finishing. • Before oxidation, native chemical phases are identical for both samples. • Subsurface dislocations generated by the polishing process promote Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} formation. - Abstract: The corrosion behaviour and the oxidation mechanism of a ferritic stainless steel, K41X (AISI 441), were evaluated at 800 °C in water vapour hydrogen enriched atmosphere. Mirror polished samples were compared to as-rolled K41X material. Two different oxidation behaviours were observed depending on the surface finishing: a protective double (Cr,Mn){sub 3}O{sub 4}/Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} scale formed on the polished samples whereas external Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} and (Cr,Fe){sub 2}O{sub 3} oxides grew on the raw steel. Moreover, isotopic marker experiments combined with SIMS analyses revealed different growth mechanisms. The influence of surface finishing on the corrosion products and growth mechanisms was apprehended by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and residual stress analyses using XRD at the sample surfaces before ageing.

  17. Oxidation behaviour of a Ti2AlN MAX-phase coating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Qimin; Kim, Kwangho; Garkas, W; Renteria, A Flores; Leyens, C; Sun Chao

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, we reported the oxidation behaviour of Ti 2 AlN coatings on a -TiAl substrate. The coatings composed mainly of Ti 2 AlN MAX phase were obtained by magnetron sputtering and subsequent vacuum annealing. Isothermal oxidation tests at 700-900 deg. C were performed in air. The results indicated that the oxidation resistance of the -TiAl alloy can be improved by depositing a Ti 2 AlN layer on the alloy surface, especially at high temperatures. An Al-rich oxide scale formed on the coating surfaces during oxidation. This scale acts as diffusion barrier blocking the ingress of oxidation, and effectively protects the coated alloys from further oxidation attack.

  18. Role of acidic chemistries in steam treatment of aluminium alloys

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Din, Rameez Ud; Jellesen, Morten Stendahl; Ambat, Rajan

    2015-01-01

    The effect of acidic chemistry on the accelerated growth of oxide on aluminium alloys Peraluman 706TM and AA6060 under exposure to high temperature steam was investigated. Studied chemistries were based on citrates and phosphates. Results showed that the presence of citrate and phosphate anions...... initiate doxide growth at the intermetallic particles while growth and corrosion performance of oxide was found tobe a function of anions type and their concentration. Further, steam treatment with phosphates exhibited better performance under acetic acid salt spray and filiform corrosion test whereas...

  19. Operating Point Optimization of a Hydrogen Fueled Hybrid Solid Oxide Fuel Cell-Steam Turbine (SOFC-ST Plant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juanjo Ugartemendia

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a hydrogen powered hybrid solid oxide fuel cell-steam turbine (SOFC-ST system and studies its optimal operating conditions. This type of installation can be very appropriate to complement the intermittent generation of renewable energies, such as wind generation. A dynamic model of an alternative hybrid SOFC-ST configuration that is especially suited to work with hydrogen is developed. The proposed system recuperates the waste heat of the high temperature fuel cell, to feed a bottoming cycle (BC based on a steam turbine (ST. In order to optimize the behavior and performance of the system, a two-level control structure is proposed. Two controllers have been implemented for the stack temperature and fuel utilization factor. An upper supervisor generates optimal set-points in order to reach a maximal hydrogen efficiency. The simulation results obtained show that the proposed system allows one to reach high efficiencies at rated power levels.

  20. PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN FROM THE STEAM AND OXIDATIVE REFORMING OF LPG: THERMODYNAMIC AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. P. Silva

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available AbstractThe objective of this paper was to use a thermodynamic analysis to find operational conditions that favor the production of hydrogen from steam and oxidative reforming of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG. We also analyzed the performance of a catalyst precursor, LaNiO3, in order to compare the performance of the obtained catalyst with the thermodynamic equilibrium predictions. The results showed that it is possible to produce high concentrations of hydrogen from LPG reforming. The gradual increase of temperature and the use of high water concentrations decrease the production of coke and increase the formation of H2. The reaction of oxidative reforming of LPG was more suitable for the production of hydrogen and lower coke formation. Furthermore the use of an excess of water (H2O/LPG =7.0 and intermediate temperatures (973 K are the most suitable conditions for the process.

  1. Experience of research, design, capacity, and operation with forced flow steam generators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bertolotti, G.; McDonald, B.N.; Pocock, F.J.

    1975-01-01

    The forced flow steam generators in operation in six American nuclear power plants show an excellent operational behaviour. The concept for this type of steam generator has been developed in the USA, and it has been successfully tested over several years regarding its suitability for PWRs of a larger size. The results concerning construction, materials and water chemistry for this steam generator, which will be used for the first time in the FRG in the nuclear power station Muelheim-Kaerlich, have confirmed the high reliability of this high-efficiency component. (orig./LN) [de

  2. Transient analysis of a U-tube natural circulation steam generator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gaikwad, A J; Kumar, Rajesh; Bhadra, Anu; Chakraborty, G; Venkat Raj, V [Reactor Safety Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India)

    1994-06-01

    A computer code has been developed, for transient thermal-hydraulic analysis of proposed 500 MWe PHWR steam generator. The transient behaviour of a nuclear power plant is very much dependent on the steam generator performance, as it provides a thermal linkage between the primary and secondary systems. Study of dynamics of steam generator is essential for over all power plant dynamics as well as design of control systems for steam generator. A mathematical model has been developed for the simulation of thermal-hydraulic phenomena in a U tube natural circulation steam generator. Fluid model is based on one dimensional, nonlinear, single fluid conservation equations of mass, momentum, energy and equation of state. This model includes coupled two phase flow heat transfer and natural circulation. The model accounts for both compressibility and thermal expansion effects. The process simulation and results obtained for transients such as step change in load and total loss of feed water are presented. (author). 5 refs., 7 figs.

  3. Oxidation behaviour of cast aluminium matrix composites with Ce surface coatings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pardo, A.; Merino, M.C.; Arrabal, R.; Feliu, S.; Viejo, F.

    2007-01-01

    The oxidation behaviour of SiC-reinforced aluminium matrix composites (A3xx.x/SiCp) has been studied after Ce-based treatments. Kinetics data of oxidation process were obtained from gravimetric tests performed at different temperatures (350, 425 and 500 o C). The nature of the oxidation layer was analyzed by scanning electron and atomic force microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The extent of oxidation degradation in untreated composites was preferentially localized in matrix/SiCp interfaces favouring the MgO formation. Ce coatings favoured a uniform oxidation of the composite surface with MgAl 2 O 4 spinel formation. This oxide increased the surface hardness of the materials

  4. Experimental and analytical investigations to air and steam ingress into the vacuum vessel of fusion reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kruessenberg, A.K.

    1996-12-01

    The basic fusion safety objective is the development of fusion power plants with features that protect individuals, society and the environment by establishing and maintaining an effective defence against radiological and other hazards. The most important specific principle is the establishment of three sequential levels of defence, characterized in priority order by prevention, protection and mitigation. The safety conscious selection of materials as one prevention feature gives the basis for the work described in this report. In order to protect the metallic first wall of fusion reactors from direct interaction with the plasma an extra armour is foreseen. Carbon offers the features low atomic number, high melting point, high thermal conductivity and good mechanical stability up to high temperatures making it to a favourite armour material. Looking on the safety behaviour of fusion reactors it has to be noted that carbon is unstable against oxidizing media like oxygen and steam at high temperatures und carbon has a high sorption capacity for radiologically important tritium. And tritium used as intermediate fuel in the actual reactor concepts is the one form radioactivity is present in fusion reactors. Accidents like loss of vacuum (LOVA) will lead to an air ingress into the vacuum vessel, oxidation of the hot carbon and a partial mobilization of the sorbed tritium. In a similar manner loss of coolant into vacuum (LOCIV) will lead to a water/steam ingress into the vacuum vessel, also accompanied by carbon oxidation and tritium release. (orig.)

  5. Effect of graphene oxide nano filler on dynamic behaviour of GFRP composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pujar, Nagabhushan V.; Nanjundaradhya, N. V.; Sharma, Ramesh S.

    2018-04-01

    Nano fillers like Alumina oxide, Titanium oxide, Carbon nano tube, Nano clay have been used to improve the mechanical and damping properties of fiber reinforced polymer composites. In the recent years Graphene oxide nano filler is receiving considerable attention for its outstanding properties. Literature available shows that Graphene oxide nano filler can be used to improve the mechanical properties. The use of Graphene oxide in vibration attenuation by enhancing the passive damping in fiber reinforced polymer composite has not been fully explored. The objective of this work is to investigate the dynamic behaviour of Glass fiber-reinforced composite embedded with Graphene oxide nano filler. Graphene oxide is dispersed in epoxy resin with various concentration (0.1%, 0.5% and 1%wt) using ultra-sonification process. Composite laminates were made using the traditional hand-lay-up followed by vacuum bag process. Experimental modal analysis using traditional `strike method' is used to evaluate modal parameters using FFT analyzer and Data Acquisition System. Experiments were carried out for two different fiber orientations viz 0 ➙ & 45 ➙ and two boundary conditions (Free-Free and Cantilever). The modal parameters such as natural frequency, mode shape, damping ratio were studied. This research work demonstrates the vibration damping behaviour with incorporation of Graphene oxide and provides a basic understanding of the damping characteristics in design and manufacture of high performance composites.

  6. Performance and economic assessments of a solid oxide fuel cell system with a two-step ethanol-steam-reforming process using CaO sorbent

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tippawan, Phanicha; Arpornwichanop, Amornchai

    2016-02-01

    The hydrogen production process is known to be important to a fuel cell system. In this study, a carbon-free hydrogen production process is proposed by using a two-step ethanol-steam-reforming procedure, which consists of ethanol dehydrogenation and steam reforming, as a fuel processor in the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system. An addition of CaO in the reformer for CO2 capture is also considered to enhance the hydrogen production. The performance of the SOFC system is analyzed under thermally self-sufficient conditions in terms of the technical and economic aspects. The simulation results show that the two-step reforming process can be run in the operating window without carbon formation. The addition of CaO in the steam reformer, which runs at a steam-to-ethanol ratio of 5, temperature of 900 K and atmospheric pressure, minimizes the presence of CO2; 93% CO2 is removed from the steam-reforming environment. This factor causes an increase in the SOFC power density of 6.62%. Although the economic analysis shows that the proposed fuel processor provides a higher capital cost, it offers a reducing active area of the SOFC stack and the most favorable process economics in term of net cost saving.

  7. A study on the reaction of Zircaloy-4 tube with hydrogen/steam mixture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Ji-Min; Kook, Dong-Hak; Cho, Il-Je; Kim, Yong-Soo

    2017-08-01

    In order to fundamentally understand the secondary hydriding mechanism of zirconium alloy cladding, the reaction of commercial Zircaloy-4 tubes with hydrogen and steam mixture was studied using a thermo-gravimetric analyser with two variables, H2/H2O ratio and temperature. Phenomenological analysis revealed that in the steam starvation condition, i.e., when the H2/H2O ratio is greater than 104, hydriding is the dominant reaction and the weight gain increases linearly after a short incubation time. On the other hand, when the gas ratio is 5 × 102 or 103, both hydriding and oxidation reactions take place simultaneously, leading to three distinct regimes: primary hydriding, enhanced oxidation, and massive hydriding. Microstructural changes of oxide demonstrate that when the weight gain exceeds a certain critical value, massive hydriding takes place due to the significant localized crack development within the oxide, which possibly simulates the secondary hydriding failure in a defective fuel operation. This study reveals that the steam starvation condition above the critical H2/H2O ratio is only a necessary condition for the secondary hydriding failure and, as a sufficient condition, oxide needs to grow sufficiently to reach the critical thickness that produces substantial crack development. In other words, in a real defective fuel operation incident, the secondary failure is initiated only when both steam starvation and oxide degradation conditions are simultaneously met. Therefore, it is concluded that the indispensable time for the critical oxide growth primarily determines the triggering time of massive hydriding failure.

  8. Chemical cleaning of steam generators: application to Nogent 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fiquet, J.M.; Veysset, J.P.; Esteban, L.; Saurin, P.

    1991-01-01

    EDF has patented a chemical cleaning process for PWR steam generators, based on the use of a mixture or organic acids in order to dissolve iron oxides and copper with a single solution and clean dented crevices. Qualification tests have permitted to demonstrate effectiveness of the solution and its innocuousness related to steam generator materials. The process, the licence of which belongs to SOMAFER RA and Framatome has been implemented in France at Nogent. The goal was to dissolve iron oxides allowing metallic particles, aggregated on the tubesheet, to be released and mechanically removed. The effectiveness was satisfactory and this treatment is to be extended to other units. (author)

  9. Influence of temperature on oxidation behaviour of ZE41 magnesium alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopez, M.D.; Munez, C.J.; Carboneras, M.; Rodrigo, P.; Escalera, M.D.; Otero, E.

    2010-01-01

    The influence of temperature on the oxidation behaviour of commercial ZE41 magnesium alloy has been studied. Thermogravimetric tests were carried out to determine the oxidation kinetics in the 350-500 o C range. Morphology and growth of the oxidation films were analysed by Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (EDS) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). It was found that the oxidation kinetics initially follow a parabolic law, following a linear law for higher exposure times. Results also showed that the protective nature of the oxide layer depends on the oxidation temperature. At temperatures in the range of 350-450 o C the ZE41 alloy is covered by a protective oxide layer, very thin and compact, whereas the oxide layer formed at 500 o C exhibits a non-protective nature, showing an 'oxide sponges' morphology.

  10. Design and Activation of a LOX/GH Chemical Steam Generator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saunders, G. P.; Mulkey, C. A.; Taylor, S. A.

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to give a detailed description of the design and activation of the LOX/GH fueled chemical steam generator installed in Cell 2 of the E3 test facility at Stennis Space Center, MS (SSC). The steam generator uses a liquid oxygen oxidizer with gaseous hydrogen fuel. The combustion products are then quenched with water to create steam at pressures from 150 to 450 psig at temperatures from 350 to 750 deg F (from saturation to piping temperature limits).

  11. Analysis of steam generator loss-of-feedwater experiments with APROS and RELAP5/MOD3.1 computer codes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Virtanen, E.; Haapalehto, T.; Kouhia, J.

    1997-01-01

    Three experiments were conducted to study the behaviour of the new horizontal steam generator construction of the PACTEL test facility. In the experiments the secondary side coolant level was reduced stepwise. The experiments were calculated with two computer codes RELAP5/MOD3.1 and APROS version 2.11. A similar nodalization scheme was used for both codes so that the results may be compared. Only the steam generator was modeled and the rest of the facility was given as a boundary condition. The results show that both codes calculate well the behaviour of the primary side of the steam generator. On the secondary side both codes calculate lower steam temperatures in the upper part of the heat exchange tube bundle than was measured in the experiments. (orig.)

  12. Investigation on hydrogen permeation on heat exchanger materials in conditions of steam coal gasification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moellenhoff, H.

    1984-01-01

    The permeation of hydrogen through iron-based alloys of different compositions in the temperature range between 700 and 1000 0 C was examined in a laboratory fluidized bed in the conditions of steam/coal gasification. Apart from tests on bright metal samples, measurement in the gasification atmosphere at a maximum pressure of 1 bar were carried out during oxidation of the metal. Experiments in a steam/hydrogen/argon mixture with the same oxidation potential were used for comparison purposes. The hydrogen permeated through the metal sample was taken to a gas chromatograph with argon flushing gas and analyzed there. The investigations on bright steel samples of various composition showed that their permeabilities for hydrogen at temperatures around 900 0 C only differed by a maximum of ± 30%. Effective prevention of permeation is therefore not possible simply by choosing a suitable alloy. If the steels are oxidized during permeation measurements, there is a reduction of the hydrogen permeability by 2 or 3 orders of magnitude due to the oxidation process, both in the steam/coal gasification fluidized bed and in a pure steam/hydrogen/argon mixture. (orig./GG) [de

  13. Isothermal steam oxidation of the ferritic 11% Cr steel (DIN No. 1.4914) at 900 to 13000C

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zurek, Z.

    1982-11-01

    The steam oxidation of ferritic 11% Cr steel tube and sheet samples at 900 to 1300 0 C has been studied gravimetrically, metallographically, by X-ray diffraction and in detail by electron probe microanalysis. The reaction rate could be described by parabolic kinetics of mass increase. During the oxidation a three-layer scale was formed on the surface. The inner layer was composed of iron-chromium spinel, the intermediate layer consisted of a mixture wustite and magnetite, the very thin outer layer was composed of magnetite. Within the inner scale layer small metallic particles enriched of nickel could be observed. The scale cohesion was generally poor for tube as well as for sheet material and was improving with oxidation time and temperature. After oxidation Pt-markers indicated the growth of inner and outer layer in relation to the initial metal surface. The sheet material specimens exposed at 1000-1100 0 C had blisters on their surfaces. A swelling of about 12-15% was measured for the oxidized tubing. Isotherme Dampf-Oxidation des ferritischen 11% Cr-Stahls (Werkstoff Nr. 1.4914) bei 900 - 1300 0 C. (orig.) [de

  14. Oxidation behaviours of particulate matter emitted by a diesel engine equipped with a NTP device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao, Jianbing; Ma, Chaochen; Xing, Shikai; Sun, Liwei

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Final oxidation temperatures increased for PM aggregation compared with raw PM. • Devolatilized PM aggregation exhibited similar oxidation rate constants. • DSC-based method is more accurate than TGA-based method. - Abstract: To resolve the regeneration problem of non-thermal plasma (NTP) reactor, the oxidation behaviours of diesel particulate matter (PM) were investigated. Oxidation kinetic parameters were calculated using Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) and Friedman-Reich-Levi (FRL) methods based on thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results. The DSC-based method avoided the disadvantages of TGA-based method, and the oxidation kinetic parameters calculated using the two methods were compared. The results showed that the effect of plasma on the oxidation behaviours differed greatly for PM sampled at engine loads. The TGA profiles of PM aggregation (collected on the collection plate of NTP reactor) sampled at 60% and 100% engine loads were similar although they differed significantly for raw PM. Devolatilization of raw PM led the TGA profiles to shift slightly to lower temperature, however, the TGA curves shifted to higher temperature for PM aggregation and PM treated with plasma (PM escaping from NTP reactor). The oxidation rate constants of devolatilized PM aggregation sampled at different engine loads were almost the same. DSC-based method revealed the oxidation behaviours and kinetic parameters with more accuracy than TGA-based method.

  15. Oxidation behaviour of ribbon shape carbon fibers and their composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manocha, L.M.; Warrier, Ashish; Manocha, S.; Edie, D.D.; Ogale, A.A.

    2006-01-01

    Carbon fibers, though important constituent as reinforcements for high performance carbon/carbon composites, are shadowed by their oxidation in air at temperatures beginning 450 deg. C. Owing to tailorable properties of carbon fibers, efforts are underway to explore structural modification possibilities to improve the oxidation resistance of the fibers and their composites. The pitch based ribbon shape carbon fibers are found to have highly preferential oriented graphitic structure resulting in high mechanical properties and thermal conductivity. In the present work oxidation behaviour of ribbon shape carbon fibers and their composites heat treated to 1000-2700 deg. C has been studied. SEM examination of these composites exhibits development of graphitic texture and ordering within the fibers with increase in heat treatment temperature. Oxidation studies made by thermogravimetric analysis in air show that matrix has faster rate of oxidation and in the initial stages the matrix gets oxidized at faster rate with slower rate of oxidation of the fibers depending on processing conditions of fibers and composites

  16. Strategic elements of steam cycle chemistry control practices at TXU's Comanche Peak steam electric station

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fellers, B.; Stevens, J.; Nichols, G.

    2002-01-01

    Early industry experience defined the critical importance of Chemistry Control Practices to maintaining long-term performance of PWR steam generators. These lessons provided the impetus for a number of innovations and alternate practices at Comanche Peak. For example, advanced amine investigations and implementation of results provided record low iron transport and deposition. The benefits of the surface-active properties of dimethyl-amine exceeded initial expectations. Operation of pre-coat polishers and steam generator blowdown demineralizers in the amine cycle enabled optimization of amine concentrations and stable pH control. The strategy for coordinated control of oxygen and hydrazine dosing complemented the advanced amine program for protective oxide stabilization. Additionally, a proactive chemical cleaning was performed on Unit 1 to prevent degradations from general fouling of steam generator tube-tube support plate (TSP) and top-of-tubesheet (TTS) crevices. This paper shares the results of these innovations and practices. Also, the bases, theory, and philosophy supporting the strategic elements of program will be presented. (authors)

  17. Gas sensing behaviour of cerium oxide and magnesium aluminate

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Gas sensing behaviour of cerium oxide and magnesium aluminate composites ... A lone pairof the electron state was identified from the electro paramagnetic ... carbon monoxide (CO) (at 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 bar) and ethanol (at 50 and 100 ppm) was ... The magnitude of the temperature varied linearly regardless of the gas ...

  18. Degradation of solid oxide cells during co-electrolysis of steam and carbon dioxide at high current densities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tao, Youkun; Ebbesen, Sune Dalgaard; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

    2016-01-01

    and ∼15 μm LSM–YSZ oxygen electrode. The gas conversion was 45% at −1.5 A cm−2 and 60% at −2.0 A cm−2, and the operating durations were up to 700 h. The detailed electrochemical analysis revealed significant increase of the ohmic resistance, oxide ion transport resistance in the Ni–YSZ composite......In this work, the durability of Ni–YSZ based solid oxide cells was investigated during co-electrolysis of steam and carbon dioxide (45% H2O + 45% CO2 + 10% H2) at current density of −1.5 or −2.0 A cm−2. The cell consists of ∼300 μm Ni–YSZ support, ∼10 μm Ni–YSZ electrode, ∼10 μm YSZ electrolyte...

  19. Steam 80 steam generator instrumentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carson, W.H.; Harris, H.H.

    1980-01-01

    This paper describes two special instrumentation packages in an integral economizer (preheater) steam generator of one of the first System 80 plants scheduled to go into commercial operation. The purpose of the instrumentation is to obtain accurate operating information from regions of the secondary side of the steam generator inaccessible to normal plant instrumentation. In addition to verification of the System 80 steam generator design predictions, the data obtained will assist in verification of steam generator thermal/hydraulic computer codes developed for generic use in the industry

  20. Isothermal and dynamic oxidation behaviour of Mo-W doped carbon-based coating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mandal, Paranjayee; Ehiasarian, Arutiun P.; Hovsepian, Papken Eh.

    2015-10-01

    The oxidation behaviour of Mo-W doped carbon-based coating (Mo-W-C) is investigated in elevated temperature (400-1000 °C). Strong metallurgical bond between Mo-W-C coating and substrate prevents any sort of delamination during heat-treatment. Isothermal oxidation tests show initial growth of metal oxides at 500 °C, however graphitic nature of the as-deposited coating is preserved. The oxidation progresses with further rise in temperature and the substrate is eventually exposed at 700 °C. The performance of Mo-W-C coating is compared with a state-of-the-art DLC(Cr/Cr-WC/W:C-H/a:C-H) coating, which shows preliminary oxidation at 400 °C and local delamination of the coating at 500 °C leading to substrate exposure. The graphitisation starts at 400 °C and the diamond-like structure is completely converted into the graphite-like structure at 500 °C. Dynamic oxidation behaviour of both the coatings is investigated using Thermo-gravimetric analysis carried out with a slow heating rate of 1 °C/min from ambient temperature to 1000 °C. Mo-W-C coating resists oxidation up to ˜800 °C whereas delamination of DLC(Cr/Cr-WC/W:C-H/a:C-H) coating is observed beyond ˜380 °C. In summary, Mo-W-C coating provides improved oxidation resistance at elevated temperature compared to DLC(Cr/Cr-WC/W:C-H/a:C-H) coating.

  1. On the oxidation behaviour of a Cu-10 vol% Cr in situ composite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haugsrud, R.; Lee, K.L.

    2005-01-01

    The oxidation behaviour of copper and Cu-10 vol% Cr in situ composite was studied at 400-700 deg. C in air and in argon containing 10 ppm O 2 . Oxidation kinetics was investigated by means of isothermal thermogravimetry and the oxide scales were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The presence of the chromium fibres increases the oxidation resistance compared to unalloyed copper up to 600 deg. C. The oxidation mechanism and the influence of the different oxidation phenomena on the creep characteristics of the alloy composite are discussed

  2. Oxidation behaviour of a Ti{sub 2}AlN MAX-phase coating

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang Qimin; Kim, Kwangho [National Core Research Center for Hybrid Materials Solution, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735 (Korea, Republic of); Garkas, W; Renteria, A Flores [Chair of Physical Metallurgy and Materials Technology, Technical University of Brandenburg at Cottbus, 03046 Cottbus (Germany); Leyens, C [Institute of Materials Science, Technical University of Dresden, Helmholtzstrasse 7, 01069 Dresden (Germany); Sun Chao, E-mail: qmwang@pusan.ac.kr, E-mail: kwhokim@pusan.ac.kr [Division of Surface Engineering of Materials, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016 (China)

    2011-10-29

    In this paper, we reported the oxidation behaviour of Ti{sub 2}AlN coatings on a -TiAl substrate. The coatings composed mainly of Ti{sub 2}AlN MAX phase were obtained by magnetron sputtering and subsequent vacuum annealing. Isothermal oxidation tests at 700-900 deg. C were performed in air. The results indicated that the oxidation resistance of the -TiAl alloy can be improved by depositing a Ti{sub 2}AlN layer on the alloy surface, especially at high temperatures. An Al-rich oxide scale formed on the coating surfaces during oxidation. This scale acts as diffusion barrier blocking the ingress of oxidation, and effectively protects the coated alloys from further oxidation attack.

  3. Liquid metal fast breeder reactor steam generator: behaviour of heat exchange tubes in face of a through crack resulting in a contact between sodium and water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Quinet, J.L.; Lannou, L.

    1978-01-01

    The results of a survey made Electricite de France on the behaviour of cracked tubes under operating conditions of an industrial steam generator are submitted in this communication. A comparison is made of the tube material: INCOLOY 800, 2 1/4 Cr-1 Mo, 9 Cr-2 Mo land to the initial leak. Finally, a description is given of the self-development process of a water leak into sodium. (author)

  4. Prospects for Martensitic 12 % Cr Steels for Advanced Steam Power Plants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hald, John

    2016-01-01

    and FB2 are now used in power plants up to 600–620 °C steam temperature. For higher steam temperatures up to 650 °C steels with 11–12 % Cr are needed for better resistance against steam oxidation. However, fine V and Nb based nitrides may transform to coarse Z-phase [Cr(V,Nb)N] nitrides in steels...

  5. SNR-steam generator design with respect to large sodium water reactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jong, J.J. de; Kellner, A.; Florie, C.J.L.

    1984-01-01

    This paper deals with the experiences gained during the licensing procedure for the steam generators for the SNR 300 LMFBR regarding large sodium-water reactions. A description is given of the different calculations executed to investigate the effects of large leaks on the 85 MW helical coiled and straight tube steam generators. The investigations on the helical coiled steam generators are divided in the formulations of fluid behaviour, dynamic force calculations, dynamic response calculation and finally stress analyses. Several results are shown. The investigations on the straight tube steam generators are performed using models describing fluid-structure interaction, coupled with stress analyses. Several results are presented. A description is given of the problems and necessary construction changes during the licensing process. Advises are given for future analyses and design concepts for second generation commercial size LMFBR steam generators with respect to large leaks; based on the experience, gained with SNR 300, and using some new calculations for SNR 2. (author)

  6. Process for superheating the steam generated by a light water nuclear reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vakil, H.B.; Brown, D.H.

    1976-01-01

    A process is submitted for superheating the pressurised steam generated in a light water nuclear reactor in which the steam is brought to 340 0 C at least. This superheated steam is used to operate a turbo-generator unit. The characteristic of the process is that an exothermal chemical reaction is used to generate the heat utilised during the superheating stage. The chemical reaction is a mechanisation, oxidation-reduction or hydrogenation reaction [fr

  7. Production of C(3)/C(4) Olefins from n-Hexane: Conceptual design of a catalytic oxidative cracking process and comparison to steam cracking

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boyadjian, C.A.; Seshan, Kulathuiyer; Lefferts, Leonardus; van der Ham, Aloysius G.J.; van den Berg, Henderikus

    2011-01-01

    A conceptual design of the catalytic oxidative cracking (COC) of hexane as a model compound of naphtha is reported. The design is based on experimental data which are elaborated through a structural design method to a process flow sheet. The potential of COC as an alternative to steam cracking (SC)

  8. A Pre-normative study on the cyclic oxidation behaviour of PM chromium: the effect of experimental parameters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jacob, Y.P.; Haanappel, V.A.C.; Stroosnijder, M.F. [Commission of the European Communities, Ispra (Italy). Joint Research Centre; Caudron, E.; Buscail, H. [Lab. Vellave sur l' Elaboration et l' Etude des Materiaux, Equipe locale Univ. Blaise-Pascal Clermont-Fd 2 (France)

    2001-07-01

    In this study the importance of experimental parameters for the cyclic oxidation behaviour of chromium is discussed. In particular, the effect of different batches, sample geometry, maximum temperature during cyclic oxidation tests, and the effect of isothermal hold-time in relation to the oxidation behaviour are investigated in more detail. It is shown that small differences in the experimental method or material properties could already significantly influence the oxidation kinetics of the material under investigation. Consequently, poorly chosen and/or characterised experimental conditions can cause misleading results and even wrong conclusions. (orig.)

  9. Chemical cleaning of PWR steam generators: application at Nogent 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fiquet, J.M.; Veysset, J.P.; Esteban, L.; Saurin, P.

    1990-01-01

    EDF has developed and patented a chemical cleaning process for PWR steam generators, based on the use of a mixture of organic acids in order to: - dissolve iron oxides and copper with a single solution; - clean dented crevices. Qualification tests have permitted to demonstrate effectiveness of the solution and its inocuousness related to steam generator materials. The process, the license of which belongs to SOMAFER R.A. and FRAMATOME, has been implemented in France at Nogent. The goal was to dissolve iron oxides allowing metallic particles, aggregated on the tubesheet, to be released and mechanically removed. The effectiveness was satisfactory and this treatment is to be extended to other units [fr

  10. Oxidative stress, activity behaviour and body mass in captive parrots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larcombe, S D; Tregaskes, C A; Coffey, J; Stevenson, A E; Alexander, L G; Arnold, K E

    2015-01-01

    Many parrot species are kept in captivity for conservation, but often show poor reproduction, health and survival. These traits are known to be influenced by oxidative stress, the imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and ability of antioxidant defences to ameliorate ROS damage. In humans, oxidative stress is linked with obesity, lack of exercise and poor nutrition, all of which are common in captive animals. Here, we tested whether small parrots (budgerigars, Melopsittacus undulatus) maintained in typical pet cages and on ad libitum food varied in oxidative profile, behaviour and body mass. Importantly, as with many birds held in captivity, they did not have enough space to engage in extensive free flight. Four types of oxidative damage, single-stranded DNA breaks (low-pH comet assay), alkali-labile sites in DNA (high-pH comet assay), sensitivity of DNA to ROS (H2O2-treated comet assay) and malondialdehyde (a byproduct of lipid peroxidation), were uncorrelated with each other and with plasma concentrations of dietary antioxidants. Without strenuous exercise over 28 days in a relatively small cage, more naturally 'active' individuals had more single-stranded DNA breaks than sedentary birds. High body mass at the start or end of the experiment, coupled with substantial mass gain, were all associated with raised sensitivity of DNA to ROS. Thus, high body mass in these captive birds was associated with oxidative damage. These birds were not lacking dietary antioxidants, because final body mass was positively related to plasma levels of retinol, zeaxanthin and α-tocopherol. Individuals varied widely in activity levels, feeding behaviour, mass gain and oxidative profile despite standardized living conditions. DNA damage is often associated with poor immunocompetence, low fertility and faster ageing. Thus, we have candidate mechanisms for the limited lifespan and fecundity common to many birds kept for conservation purposes.

  11. Steam Reforming of Acetic Acid over Co-Supported Catalysts: Coupling Ketonization for Greater Stability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Davidson, Stephen D. [Energy and Environmental; Spies, Kurt A. [Energy and Environmental; Mei, Donghai [Energy and Environmental; Kovarik, Libor [Energy and Environmental; Kutnyakov, Igor [Energy and Environmental; Li, Xiaohong S. [Energy and Environmental; Lebarbier Dagle, Vanessa [Energy and Environmental; Albrecht, Karl O. [Energy and Environmental; Dagle, Robert A. [Energy and Environmental

    2017-09-11

    We report on the markedly improved stability of a novel 2-bed catalytic system, as compared to a conventional 1-bed steam reforming catalyst, for the production of H2 from acetic acid. The 2-bed catalytic system comprises of i) a basic oxide ketonization catalyst for the conversion of acetic acid to acetone, and a ii) Co-based steam reforming catalyst, both catalytic beds placed in sequence within the same unit operation. Steam reforming catalysts are particularly prone to catalytic deactivation when steam reforming acetic acid, used here as a model compound for the aqueous fraction of bio-oil. Catalysts comprising MgAl2O4, ZnO, CeO2, and activated carbon (AC) both with and without Co-addition were evaluated for conversion of acetic acid and acetone, its ketonization product, in the presence of steam. It was found that over the bare oxide support only ketonization activity was observed and coke deposition was minimal. With addition of Co to the oxide support steam reforming activity was facilitated and coke deposition was significantly increased. Acetone steam reforming over the same Co-supported catalysts demonstrated more stable performance and with less coke deposition than with acetic acid feedstock. DFT analysis suggests that over Co surface CHxCOO species are more favorably formed from acetic acid versus acetone. These CHxCOO species are strongly bound to the Co catalyst surface and could explain the higher propensity for coke formation from acetic acid. Based on these findings, in order to enhance stability of the steam reforming catalyst a dual-bed (2-bed) catalyst system was implemented. Comparing the 2-bed and 1-bed (Co-supported catalyst only) systems under otherwise identical reaction conditions the 2-bed demonstrated significantly improved stability and coke deposition was decreased by a factor of 4.

  12. High-temperature steam oxidation testing of select advanced replacement alloys for potential core internals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tan, Lizhen [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Pint, Bruce A. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2017-05-19

    Coupons from a total of fourteen commercial and custom fabricated alloys were exposed to 1 bar full steam with ~10 ppb oxygen content at 600 and 650°C. The coupons were weighed at 500-h intervals with a total exposure time of 5,000 h. The fourteen alloys are candidate alloys selected under the ARRM program, which include three ferritic steels (Grade 92, 439, and 14YWT), three austenitic stainless steels (316L, 310, and 800), seven Ni-base superalloys (X750, 725, C22, 690, 625, 625 direct-aging, and 625- plus), and one Zr-alloy (Zr–2.5Nb). Among the alloys, 316L and X750 are served as reference alloys for low- and high-strength alloys, respectively. The candidate Ni-base superalloy 718 was procured too late to be included in the tests. The corrosion rates of the candidate alloys can be approximately interpreted by their Cr, Ni and Fe content. The corrosion rate was significantly reduced with increasing Cr content and when Ni content is above ~15 wt%, but not much further reduced when Fe content is less than ~55 wt%. Simplified thermodynamics analyses of the alloy oxidation provided reasonable indications for the constituents of oxide scales formed on the alloys and explanations for the porosity and exfoliation phenomena because of the nature of specific types of oxides.

  13. Oxidation behaviour of Zr-based bulk metallic glasses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Bin

    2011-01-01

    The Zr-based bulk metallic glasses, developed since the late 1980's, have very interesting mechanical properties, which can be considered for many applications including working under oxidizing atmosphere conditions at high temperatures. It is therefore interesting to study their oxidation resistance and to characterize the oxide scale formed on alloys surface. The fundamental objective of this thesis is to enhance the understanding of the role of various thermodynamic and chemistry parameters on the oxidation behaviour of the Zr-based bulk metallic glasses at high temperature under dry air, to determine the residual stresses in the oxide layer, in comparison with their crystalline alloys with the same chemical composition after an annealing treatment. The oxidation kinetics of these glasses and the crystalline structure of oxide scale ZrO 2 depend on the temperature and the oxidation duration: for short periods of oxidation or at a temperature below Tg, the kinetics follows a parabolic law, whereas, if the sample is oxidized at T ≥ Tg, the kinetics can be divided into two parts. The crystalline counterparts are oxidized by a parabolic rule whatever the temperature; for long oxidation duration at a temperature close to Tg, the kinetics becomes more complex because of the crystallisation of the glasses during the oxidation tests. Also the crystalline structure of the oxide layers depends on the oxidation temperature: the oxide layer consists only in tetragonal Zirconia at T ≤ Tg, while monoclinic Zirconia was formed at higher temperature. The mechanism of the formation of the oxide scale is due to both the interior diffusion of Oxygen ions and the external diffusion of Zirconium ions. However the diffusion of Zirconium ions slows gradually during the crystallisation process of the glass matrix. When the crystallisation is completed, the formation of Zirconia is controlled by only the internal diffusion of oxygen ions. The corresponding residual stresses

  14. Material properties influence on steam explosion efficiency. Prototypic versus simulant melts, eutectic versus non-eutectic melts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leskovar, M.; Mavko, B.

    2006-01-01

    A steam explosion may occur during a severe nuclear reactor accident if the molten core comes into contact with the coolant water. A strong enough steam explosion in a nuclear power plant could jeopardize the containment integrity and so lead to a direct release of radioactive material to the environment. Details of processes taking place prior and during the steam explosion have been experimentally studied for a number of years with adjunct efforts in modelling these processes to address the scaling of these experiments. Steam explosion experiments have shown that there are important differences of behaviour between simulant and prototypical melts, and that also at prototypical melts the fuel coolant interactions depend on the composition of the corium. In experiments with prototypic materials no spontaneous steam explosions occurred (except with an eutectic composition), whereas with simulant materials the steam explosions were triggered spontaneously. The energy conversion ratio of steam explosions with prototypic melts is at least one order of magnitude lower than the energy conversion ratio of steam explosions with simulant melts. Although the different behaviour of prototypic and simulant melts has been known for a number of years, there is no reliable explanation for these differences. Consequently it is not possible to reliably estimate whether corium would behave so non-explosive also in reactor conditions, where the mass of poured melt is nearly three orders of magnitude larger than in experimental conditions. An even more fascinating material effect was observed recently at corium experiments with eutectic and non-eutectic compositions. It turned out that eutectic corium always exploded spontaneously, whereas non-eutectic corium never exploded spontaneously. In the paper, a possible explanation of both material effects (prototypic/simulant melts, eutectic/non-eutectic corium) on the steam explosion is provided. A model for the calculation of the

  15. High Activity of Ce1-xNixO2-y for H2 Production through Ethanol Steam Reforming: Tuning Catalytic Performance through Metal-Oxide Interactions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    G Zhou; L Barrio; S Agnoli; S Senanayake; J Evans; A Kubacka; M Estrella; J Hanson; A Martinez-Arias; et al.

    2011-12-31

    The importance of the oxide: Ce{sub 0.8}Ni{sub 0.2}O{sub 2-y} is an excellent catalyst for ethanol steam reforming. Metal-oxide interactions perturb the electronic properties of the small particles of metallic nickel present in the catalyst under the reaction conditions and thus suppress any methanation activity. The nickel embedded in ceria induces the formation of O vacancies, which facilitate cleavage of the OH bonds in ethanol and water.

  16. An Isothermal Steam Expander for an Industrial Steam Supplying System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen-Kuang Lin

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Steam is an essential medium used in the industrial process. To ensure steam quality, small and middle scale boilers are often adopted. However, because a higher steam pressure (compared to the necessary steam pressure is generated, the boiler’s steam pressure will be reduced via a pressure regulator before the steam is directed through the process. Unfortunately, pressure is somewhat wasted during the reducing process. Therefore, in order to promote energy efficiency, a pressure regulator is replaced by a steam expander. With this steam expander, the pressure will be transformed into mechanical energy and extracted during the expansion process. A new type of isothermal steam expander for an industrial steam supplying system will be presented in the paper. The isothermal steam expander will improve the energy efficiency of a traditional steam expander by replacing the isentropic process with an isothermal expansion process. With this, steam condensation will decrease, energy will increase, and steam quality will be improved. Moreover, the mathematical model of the isothermal steam expander will be established by using the Schmidt theory, the same principle used to analyze Stirling engines. Consequently, by verifying the correctness of the theoretical model for the isothermal steam expander using experimental data, a prototype of 100 c.c. isothermal steam expander is constructed.

  17. Comparative study of water chemistry and surface oxide composition on alloy 600 steam generator tubing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bjoernkvist, L.; Norring, K.; Nyborg, L.

    1993-01-01

    The Ringhals 3 steam generators experience secondary IGSCC on the tubes at support plate locations. Its sister unit Ringhals 4 is so far without IGSCC. Extensive work has been carried out in order to determine the local chemistry in crevices and the composition of deposits and oxide films on the tubes. Hot soaks of the SG:s at zero power has been performed and the water chemistry in occluded crevices of the SGs was predicted to be alkaline, pH 300degreesC = 10. In addition to eddy current testing, a large number of tubes have been pulled and destructively examined. These analysis include SEM/EDS characterization of TSP crevice deposits and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) with depth profiling to reveal the composition of the tube OD oxide film. The AES analysis show an outer oxide rich in Fe 3 O 4 , mostly deposited. The actual Alloy 600 oxide is found below the magnetite and is 1-2 μm thick. The composition profile of the oxide exhibits a Cr-depletion relative to Ni in the outer part of the oxide, whereas an enrichment is found in depth. In order to correlate the water chemistry to the oxide composition profiles and deposits on pulled tubes, reference samples were prepared in an autoclave. The environments were chosen similar to the predicted Ringhals 3 and 4 crevice chemistry. Exposure both in an alkaline (pH 320degreesC∼ 9.9) and an acidic (pH 320degreesC ∼4.3) environment, containing sodium, chloride and sulphate, was studied. Some samples were also found on the Alloy 600 samples exposed to alkaline environment. Thus the prediction of alkaline chemistry was verified. The enrichment of chromium relative to nickel was shown to be potential and time dependent resulting in an increased Cr/Ni ratio at Cr-max with increasing potential and time

  18. On the mechanisms associated with the chemical reactivity of Be in steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petti, D.A.; Smolik, G.R.; Anderl, R.A.

    2000-01-01

    One safety concern surrounding beryllium as a plasma-facing material in a water-cooled Tokamak is steam interactions with hot beryllium and the production of significant quantities of hydrogen. We have tested several different product forms of Be with different densities and levels of porosity. Oxidation kinetics has been determined by measurements of hydrogen release with a mass spectrometer, volumetric measurements of the product gas and weight change of the sample. We discuss and compare with the literature the fundamental mechanisms and kinetics controlling the oxidation of Be in steam. Fully dense beryllium exhibits parabolic, linear and accelerating modes of oxidation as temperature increases from 450 deg. C to 1200 deg. C. The oxidation mechanisms and temperature trends are similar for other product forms. Oxidation rates are higher, however, when processing or annealing significantly increases the extent of interconnected porosity and consequently the effective surface area. The effective surface area as measured by BET surface analyses is a key parameter when comparing oxidation rates

  19. Modelling the horizontal steam generator with APROS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ylijoki, J. [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland); Palsinajaervi, C.; Porkholm, K. [IVO International Ltd, Vantaa (Finland)

    1995-12-31

    In this paper the capability of the five- and six-equation models of the simulation code APROS to simulate the behaviour of the horizontal steam generator is discussed. Different nodalizations are used in the modelling and the results of the stationary state runs are compared. Exactly the same nodalizations have been created for the five- and six-equation models. The main simulation results studied in this paper are void fraction and mass flow distributions in the secondary side of the steam generator. It was found that quite a large number of simulation volumes is required to simulate the distributions with a reasonable accuracy. The simulation results of the different models are presented and their validity is discussed. (orig.). 4 refs.

  20. Modelling the horizontal steam generator with APROS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ylijoki, J [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland); Palsinajaervi, C; Porkholm, K [IVO International Ltd, Vantaa (Finland)

    1996-12-31

    In this paper the capability of the five- and six-equation models of the simulation code APROS to simulate the behaviour of the horizontal steam generator is discussed. Different nodalizations are used in the modelling and the results of the stationary state runs are compared. Exactly the same nodalizations have been created for the five- and six-equation models. The main simulation results studied in this paper are void fraction and mass flow distributions in the secondary side of the steam generator. It was found that quite a large number of simulation volumes is required to simulate the distributions with a reasonable accuracy. The simulation results of the different models are presented and their validity is discussed. (orig.). 4 refs.

  1. Cast Alloys for Advanced Ultra Supercritical Steam Turbines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    G. R. Holcomb, P. Wang, P. D. Jablonski, and J. A. Hawk,

    2010-05-01

    The proposed steam inlet temperature in the Advanced Ultra Supercritical (A-USC) steam turbine is high enough (760 °C) that traditional turbine casing and valve body materials such as ferritic/martensitic steels will not suffice due to temperature limitations of this class of materials. Cast versions of several traditionally wrought Ni-based superalloys were evaluated for use as casing or valve components for the next generation of industrial steam turbines. The full size castings are substantial: 2-5,000 kg each half and on the order of 100 cm thick. Experimental castings were quite a bit smaller, but section size was retained and cooling rate controlled to produce equivalent microstructures. A multi-step homogenization heat treatment was developed to better deploy the alloy constituents. The most successful of these cast alloys in terms of creep strength (Haynes 263, Haynes 282, and Nimonic 105) were subsequently evaluated by characterizing their microstructure as well as their steam oxidation resistance (at 760 and 800 °C).

  2. Effect of the pre-transient oxide on Zy-4 cladding degradation in air and air+steam atmospheres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duriez, C.; Guerain, M.; Lacote, P.; Mermoux, M.

    2015-01-01

    High temperature reactivity in air of Zr based alloys has been mostly investigated with initially bare cladding materials. In this study, attention is paid to the influence of a low temperature pre-oxidation scale aiming to simulate the corrosion scale existing on spent fuel. Different out of pile pre-oxidation methods, inducing significant variation in the pre-oxides microstructure, are compared. The reaction kinetics in air and in mixed air + steam atmospheres, investigated in the 700-950 C. degrees temperature range by thermogravimetry (TGA), shows that a pre-oxide scale formed at low temperature has a protective effect at high temperature by significantly delaying occurrence of the kinetic acceleration, which however still occurs. Efficiency of this protective effect appears to depend on the type of pre-oxide. To better understand the exact role of the pre-oxide, oxygen transport through the pre-oxide has been investigated using the 18 O tracer technique. 18 O distribution maps have been obtained by micro-Raman imaging, which has proved to offer interesting capabilities for that purpose. Results obtained with a 30 μm pre-oxide scale formed at 425 C. degrees in oxygen suggest that, at 850 C. degrees, only the inner part of the scale acts as a barrier against oxidation while the outermost part of the scale (5 to 15 μm in thickness) seems to be permeable to gaseous oxygen. The use of the 18 O isotope tracer technique associated with micro-Raman mapping of the scales is demonstrated to be a powerful method to investigate the transport properties of the scales and will help to gain understanding of the kinetic differences between the different pre-oxides

  3. Changes of wood cell walls in response to hygro-mechanical steam treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Juan; Song, Kunlin; Salmén, Lennart; Yin, Yafang

    2015-01-22

    The effects of compression combined with steam treatment (CS-treatment), i.e. a hygro-mechanical steam treatment on Spruce wood were studied on a cell-structure level to understand the chemical and physical changes of the secondary cell wall occurring under such conditions. Specially, imaging FT-IR microscopy, nanoindentation and dynamic vapour absorption were used to track changes in the chemical structure, in micromechanical and hygroscopic properties. It was shown that CS-treatment resulted in different changes in morphological, chemical and physical properties of the cell wall, in comparison with those under pure steam treatment. After CS-treatment, the cellular structure displayed significant deformations, and the biopolymer components, e.g. hemicellulose and lignin, were degraded, resulting in decreased hygroscopicity and increased mechanical properties of the wood compared to both untreated and steam treated wood. Moreover, CS-treatment resulted in a higher degree of degradation especially in earlywood compared to a more uniform behaviour of wood treated only by steam. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Predicting steam generator crevice chemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burton, G.; Strati, G.

    2006-01-01

    'Full text:' Corrosion of steam cycle components produces insoluble material, mostly iron oxides, that are transported to the steam generator (SG) via the feedwater and deposited on internal surfaces such as the tubes, tube support plates and the tubesheet. The build up of these corrosion products over time can lead to regions of restricted flow with water chemistry that may be significantly different, and potentially more corrosive to SG tube material, than the bulk steam generator water chemistry. The aim of the present work is to predict SG crevice chemistry using experimentation and modelling as part of AECL's overall strategy for steam generator life management. Hideout-return experiments are performed under CANDU steam generator conditions to assess the accumulation of impurities in hideout, and return from, model crevices. The results are used to validate the ChemSolv model that predicts steam generator crevice impurity concentrations, and high temperature pH, based on process parameters (e.g., heat flux, primary side temperature) and blowdown water chemistry. The model has been incorporated into ChemAND, AECL's system health monitoring software for chemistry monitoring, analysis and diagnostics that has been installed at two domestic and one international CANDU station. ChemAND provides the station chemists with the only method to predict SG crevice chemistry. In one recent application, the software has been used to evaluate the crevice chemistry based on the elevated, but balanced, SG bulk water impurity concentrations present during reactor startup, in order to reduce hold times. The present paper will describe recent hideout-return experiments that are used for the validation of the ChemSolv model, station experience using the software, and improvements to predict the crevice electrochemical potential that will permit station staff to ensure that the SG tubes are in the 'safe operating zone' predicted by Lu (AECL). (author)

  5. The calculated solubilities of hematite, magnetite and lepidocrocite in steam generator feedtrains

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jobe, D.

    1997-05-01

    The solubility of three iron oxides [hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3 (s)), magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 (s)) and lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH(s))] under representative steam generator feedtrain conditions were calculated using a thermodynamic database for these oxides and the associated aqueous species. Using this database, we calculated the solubility of iron for both Fe 3 O 4 (s) in equilibrium with other iron oxides and for the individual oxides in the presence of various oxygen partial pressures. The results indicate that the solubility of iron is strongly dependent on redox conditions, represented either by dissolved H 2 or O 2 concentration, or by the presence of other iron oxides (stable or metastable). The solubility behaviour of these oxides can be explained by changes in the aqueous-phase speciation of iron with temperature and pH. Similar calculations for the individual oxides in the presence Of O 2 (g) are also presented and were used to construct temperature-dependent phase diagrams for these oxides in equilibrium (including metastable conditions) with 1 ppb (ppb - μg·kg -1 ) of soluble iron. Calculations were also performed for feedtrain solutions containing 5 ppb of dissolved oxygen and pH buffered using mixtures of amines. From these calculations it was concluded that, relative to the oxidation potential and temperature of the feedtrain solution, changing the pH-buffer has only a minor effect on iron solubility. The effect of the variation in iron solubility along the feedtrain with solution pH, temperature and redox potential on corrosion-product transport to the boiler is also discussed. (author)

  6. Energy efficient thermochemical conversion of very wet biomass to biofuels by integration of steam drying, steam electrolysis and gasification

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Clausen, Lasse Røngaard

    2017-01-01

    A novel system concept is presented for the thermochemical conversion of very wet biomasses such as sewage sludge and manure. The system integrates steam drying, solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC) and gasification for the production of synthetic natural gas (SNG). The system is analyzed...

  7. The influence of cold work on the oxidation behaviour of stainless steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langevoort, J.C.

    1985-01-01

    In this thesis the study of the interaction of oxygen gas with stainless steel surfaces is described. Thermogravimetry, microscopy and ellipsometry have been used to follow the oxidation in situ, while EDX, AES and XPS have been used to determine the oxide compositions. The aim of this thesis is to reveal the influence on the oxidation behaviour of stainless steel of i) cold work (rolling, drawing, milling, polishing and Ar ion bombardment) ii) the initially formed oxide and iii) the experimental conditions. Two types of stainless steels have been used (AISI 304 (a 18/8 Cr/Ni steel) and Incoloy 800 H (a 20/30 Cr/Ni steel)). (Auth.)

  8. Performance Comparison on Repowering of a Steam Power Plant with Gas Turbines and Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rokni, Masoud

    2016-01-01

    Repowering is a process for transforming an old power plant for greater capacity and/or higher efficiency. As a consequence, the repowered plant is characterized by higher power output and less specific CO2 emissions. Usually, repowering is performed by adding one or more gas turbines into an exi......Repowering is a process for transforming an old power plant for greater capacity and/or higher efficiency. As a consequence, the repowered plant is characterized by higher power output and less specific CO2 emissions. Usually, repowering is performed by adding one or more gas turbines...... into an existing steam cycle which was built decades ago. Thus, traditional repowering results in combined cycles (CC). High temperature fuel cells (such as solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)) could also be used as a topping cycle, achieving even higher global plant efficiency and even lower specific CO2 emissions....... Decreasing the operating temperature in a SOFC allows the use of less complex materials and construction methods, consequently reducing plant and the electricity costs. A lower working temperature makes it also suitable for topping an existing steam cycle, instead of gas turbines. This is also the target...

  9. Coal fired steam generation for heavy oil recovery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Firmin, K.

    1992-01-01

    In Alberta, some 21,000 m 3 /d of heavy oil and bitumen are produced by in-situ recovery methods involving steam injection. The steam generation requirement is met by standardized natural-gas-fired steam generators. While gas is in plentiful supply in Alberta and therefore competitively priced, significant gas price increases could occur in the future. A 1985 study investigating the alternatives to natural gas as a fuel for steam generation concluded that coal was the most economic alternative, as reserves of subbituminous coal are not only abundant in Alberta but also located relatively close to heavy oil and bitumen production areas. The environmental performance of coal is critical to its acceptance as an alternate fuel to natural gas, and proposed steam generator designs which could burn Alberta coal and control emissions satisfactorily are assessed. Considerations for ash removal, sulfur dioxide sorption, nitrogen oxides control, and particulate emission capture are also presented. A multi-stage slagging type of coal-fired combustor has been developed which is suitable for application with oilfield steam generators and is being commissioned for a demonstration project at the Cold Lake deposit. An economic study showed that the use of coal for steam generation in heavy oil in-situ projects in the Peace River and Cold Lake areas would be economic, compared to natural gas, at fuel price projections and design/cost premises for a project timing in the mid-1990s. 7 figs., 3 tabs

  10. High pressure hydriding of sponge-Zr in steam-hydrogen mixtures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Y.S.

    1997-01-01

    Hydriding kinetics of thin sponge-Zr layers metallurgically bonded to a Zircaloy disk has been studied by thermogravimetry in the temperature range 350-400 C in 7 MPa hydrogen-steam mixtures. Some specimens were prefilmed with a thin oxide layer prior to exposure to the reactant gas; all were coated with a thin layer of gold to avoid premature reaction at edges. Two types of hydriding were observed in prefilmed specimens, viz., a slow hydrogen absorption process that precedes an accelerated (massive) hydriding. At 7 MPa total pressure, the critical ratio of H 2 /H 2 O above which massive hydriding occurs at 400 C is ∝200. The critical H 2 /H 2 O ratio is shifted to ∝2.5 x 10 3 at 350 C. The slow hydriding process occurs only when conditions for hydriding and oxidation are approximately equally favorable. Based on maximum weight gain, the specimen is completely converted to δ-ZrH 2 by massive hydriding in ∝5 h at a hydriding rate of ∝10 -6 mol H/cm 2 s. Incubation times of 10-20 h prior to the onset of massive hydriding increases with prefilm oxide thickness in the range of 0-10 μm. By changing to a steam-enriched gas, massive hydriding that initially started in a steam-starved condition was arrested by re-formation of a protective oxide scale. (orig.)

  11. Mathematical modelling of steam generator and design of temperature regulator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bogdanovic, S.S. [EE Institute Nikola Tesla, Belgrade (Yugoslavia)

    1999-07-01

    The paper considers mathematical modelling of once-through power station boiler and numerical algorithm for simulation of the model. Fast and numerically stable algorithm based on the linearisation of model equations and on the simultaneous solving of differential and algebraic equations is proposed. The paper also presents the design of steam temperature regulator by using the method of projective controls. Dynamic behaviour of the system closed with optimal linear quadratic regulator is taken as the reference system. The desired proprieties of the reference system are retained and solutions for superheated steam temperature regulator are determined. (author)

  12. Multitechnique characterisation of 304L surface states oxidised at high temperature in steam and air atmospheres

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mamede, Anne-Sophie, E-mail: anne-sophie.mamede@ensc-lille.fr [University Lille, CNRS, ENSCL, Centrale Lille, University Artois, UMR 8181 – UCCS – Unité de Catalyse et Chimie du Solide, F-59000 Lille (France); Nuns, Nicolas, E-mail: nicolas.nuns@univ-lille1.fr [University Lille, CNRS, ENSCL, Centrale Lille, University Artois, UMR 8181 – UCCS – Unité de Catalyse et Chimie du Solide, F-59000 Lille (France); Cristol, Anne-Lise, E-mail: anne-lise.cristol@ec-lille.fr [University Lille, CNRS, Centrale Lille, Arts et Métiers Paris Tech, FRE 3723 – LML – Laboratoire de Mécanique de Lille, F-59000 Lille (France); Cantrel, Laurent, E-mail: laurent.cantrel@irsn.fr [Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, PSN-RES, Cadarache, Saint Paul lez Durance, 13115 (France); Laboratoire de Recherche Commun IRSN-CNRS-Lille 1: «Cinétique Chimique, Combustion, Réactivité» (C3R), Cadarache, Saint Paul lez Durance, 13115 (France); Souvi, Sidi, E-mail: sidi.souvi@irsn.fr [Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, PSN-RES, Cadarache, Saint Paul lez Durance, 13115 (France); Laboratoire de Recherche Commun IRSN-CNRS-Lille 1: «Cinétique Chimique, Combustion, Réactivité» (C3R), Cadarache, Saint Paul lez Durance, 13115 (France); and others

    2016-04-30

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Mutitechnique characterisation of oxidised 304L. • Oxidation at high temperature under steam and air conditions of 304L stainless steel. • Chromium and manganese oxides formed in the outer layer. • Oxide profiles differ in air or steam atmosphere. - Abstract: In case of a severe accident occurring in a nuclear reactor, surfaces of the reactor coolant system (RCS), made of stainless steel (304L) rich in Cr (>10%) and Ni (8–12%), are oxidised. Fission products (FPs) are released from melt fuel and flow through the RCS. A part of them is deposited onto surfaces either by vapour condensation or by aerosol deposition mechanisms. To be able to understand the nature of interactions between these FPs and the RCS surfaces, a preliminary step is to characterize the RSC surface states in steam and air atmosphere at high temperatures. Pieces of 304L stainless steel have been treated in a flow reactor at two different temperatures (750 °C and 950 °C) for two different exposition times (24 h and 72 h). After surfaces analysing by a unique combination of surface analysis techniques (XPS, ToF-SIMS and LEIS), for 304L, the results show a deep oxide scale with multi layers and the outer layer is composed of chromium and manganese oxides. Oxide profiles differ in air or steam atmosphere. Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} oxide is observed but in minor proportion and in all cases no nickel is detected near the surface. Results obtained are discussed and compared with the literature data.

  13. Oxidation behaviour of Zr-Ce alloys. Kinetic and microstructure aspects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rouillon, Ludovic

    1996-01-01

    As Zircaloy alloys are used for fuel rods in pressurized water nuclear reactors, this research thesis aims at studying and improving corrosion resistance of zirconium alloys while maintaining their mechanical properties. It more precisely deals with the kinetic and microstructure aspects of the external corrosion of the cladding by the coolant. In the case of Zircaloys, this corrosion is characterized by a kinetic transition from an initially parabolic to a linear regime. This research aims at intervening on this transition by elaborating zirconium alloys containing an element which stabilizes zirconia, in this case cerium. After having reported a bibliographical study on sheath oxidation, on parameters which influence sheath oxidation kinetics, on zirconia stabilization by doping elements, on the interest of lanthanide oxides, the author reports a feasibility study on the use of cerium (choice and preparation, sintered ceramic characterization, annealing of stabilized zirconia), reports a metallurgical study of Zr-Ce alloys, reports the study of the oxidation behaviour of these alloys (in autoclave, in presence of oxygen, under oxygen and then water) and the characterization of the microstructures of the oxide layers. He finally discusses the relationship between microstructure and oxidation kinetics, the role of cerium in the oxidation process, and the role of water in the oxidation process [fr

  14. Methane steam reforming kinetics over Ni-YSZ anodematerials for Solid Oxide FuelCells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mogensen, David

    of internal reforming has to be carefully controlled. The objective of this thesis is to make such a careful control possible by examining the rate of internal steam reforming in SOFCs. The catalytic steam reforming activity of Ni-YSZ anode material was tested both in a packed bed reactor to determine...

  15. Ecotaxes and their impact in the cost of steam and electric energy generated by a steam turbine system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Montero, Gisela

    2006-01-01

    Ecotaxes allow the internalization of costs that are considered externalities associated with polluting industrial process emissions to the atmosphere. In this paper, ecotaxes internalize polluting emissions negative impacts that are added to electricity and steam generated costs of a steam turbine and heat recovery systems from a utilities refinery plant. Steam costs were calculated by means of an exergy analysis tool and Aspen Plus simulation models. Ecotaxes were calculated for specific substances emitted in the refinery flue gases, based on a toxicity and pollution scale. Ecotaxes were generated from a model that includes damages produced to biotic and abiotic resources and considers the relative position of those substances in a toxicity and pollution scale. These ecotaxes were internalized by an exergoeconomic analysis resulting in an increase in the cost per kWh produced. This kind of ecotax is not applied in Mexico. The values of ecotaxes used in the cost determination are referred to the values currently applied by some European countries to nitrogen oxides emissions. (author)

  16. Steam turbine cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okuzumi, Naoaki.

    1994-01-01

    In a steam turbine cycle, steams exhausted from the turbine are extracted, and they are connected to a steam sucking pipe of a steam injector, and a discharge pipe of the steam injector is connected to an inlet of a water turbine. High pressure discharge water is obtained from low pressure steams by utilizing a pressurizing performance of the steam injector and the water turbine is rotated by the high pressure water to generate electric power. This recover and reutilize discharged heat of the steam turbine effectively, thereby enabling to improve heat efficiency of the steam turbine cycle. (T.M.)

  17. Steam condenser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Masuda, Fujio

    1980-01-01

    Purpose: To enable safe steam condensation by providing steam condensation blades at the end of a pipe. Constitution: When high temperature high pressure steam flows into a vent pipe having an opening under water in a pool or an exhaust pipe or the like for a main steam eacape safety valve, non-condensable gas filled beforehand in the steam exhaust pipe is compressed, and discharged into the water in the pool. The non-condensable gas thus discharged from the steam exhaust pipe is introduced into the interior of the hollow steam condensing blades, is then suitably expanded, and thereafter exhausted from a number of exhaust holes into the water in the pool. In this manner, the non-condensable gas thus discharged is not directly introduced into the water in the pool, but is suitable expanded in the space of the steam condensing blades to suppress extreme over-compression and over-expansion of the gas so as to prevent unstable pressure vibration. (Yoshihara, H.)

  18. Development of a coupled reactor with a catalytic combustor and steam reformer for a 5 kW solid oxide fuel cell system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Sanggyu; Lee, Kanghun; Yu, Sangseok; Lee, Sang Min; Ahn, Kook-Young

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Proposes the scale-up strategy to develop a large-scale coupled reactor. • Investigation of performance of steam reformer coupled with catalytic combustor. • Experimental parameters are inlet temp., air excess ratio, SCR, fuel utilization. • Evaluation of the heat transfer distribution along the gas flow direction. • The mean value of methane conversion rate is approximately 93.4%. - Abstract: The methane (CH 4 ) conversion rate of a steam reformer can be increased by thermal integration with a catalytic combustor, called a coupled reactor. In the present study, a 5 kW coupled reactor has been developed based on a 1 kW coupled reactor in previous work. The geometric parameters of the space velocity, diameter and length of the coupled reactor selected from the 1 kW coupled reactor are tuned and applied to the design of the 5 kW coupled reactor. To confirm the scale-up strategy, the performance of 5 kW coupled reactor is experimentally investigated with variations of operating parameters such as the fuel utilization in the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack, the inlet temperature of the catalytic combustor, the excess air ratio of the catalytic combustor, and the steam to carbon ratio (SCR) in the steam reformer. The temperature distributions of coupled reactors are measured along the gas flow direction. The gas composition at the steam reformer outlet is measured to find the CH 4 conversion rate of the coupled reactor. The maximum value of the CH 4 conversion rate is approximately 93.4%, which means the proposed scale-up strategy can be utilized to develop a large-scale coupled reactor

  19. Hydrogen production by enhanced-sorption chemical looping steam reforming of glycerol in moving-bed reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dou, Binlin; Song, Yongchen; Wang, Chao; Chen, Haisheng; Yang, Mingjun; Xu, Yujie

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • New approach on continuous high-purity H 2 produced auto-thermally with long time. • Low-cost NiO/NiAl 2 O 4 exhibited high redox performance to H 2 from glycerol. • Oxidation, steam reforming, WSG and CO 2 capture were combined into a reactor. • H 2 purity of above 90% was produced without heating at 1.5–3.0 S/C and 500–600 °C. • Sorbent regeneration and catalyst oxidization achieved simultaneously in a reactor. - Abstract: The continuous high-purity hydrogen production by the enhanced-sorption chemical looping steam reforming of glycerol based on redox reactions integrated with in situ CO 2 removal has been experimentally studied. The process was carried out by a flow of catalyst and sorbent mixture using two moving-bed reactors. Various unit operations including oxidation, steam reforming, water gas shrift reaction and CO 2 removal were combined into a single reactor for hydrogen production in an overall economic and efficient process. The low-cost NiO/NiAl 2 O 4 catalyst efficiently converted glycerol and steam to H 2 by redox reactions and the CO 2 produced in the process was simultaneously removed by CaO sorbent. The best results with an enriched hydrogen product of above 90% in auto-thermal operation for reforming reactor were achieved at initial temperatures of 500–600 °C and ratios of steam to carbon (S/C) of 1.5–3.0. The results indicated also that not all of NiO in the catalyst can be reduced to Ni by the reaction with glycerol, and the reduced Ni can be oxidized to NiO by air at 900 °C. The catalyst oxidization and sorbent regeneration were achieved under the same conditions in air reactor

  20. Stress corrosion cracking of the tubing materials for nuclear steam generators in an environment containing lead

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Kyung Mo; Kim, Uh Chul; Lee, Eun Hee; Hwang, Seong Sik

    2004-01-01

    Steam generator tube materials show a high susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in an environment containing lead species and some nuclear power plants currently have degradation problems associated with lead-induced stress corrosion cracking in a caustic solution. Effects of an applied potential on SCC is tested for middle-annealed Alloy 600 specimens since their corrosion potential can be changed when lead oxide coexists with other oxidizing species like copper oxide in the sludge. In addition, all the steam generator tubing materials used for nuclear power plants being operated and currently under construction in Korea are tested in a caustic solution with lead oxide. (author)

  1. An homogeneous model of steam generator to simulate operational transiento and accidents in PWR nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Souza, A.L. de.

    1981-07-01

    GEVAP - A digital computer code was developed to simulate the thermodynamic transient behaviour of steam generators. The steam generator is divided in heating sections. In each section, the conservation equations of mass and energy are integrated numerically, using a predictor-corrector method. As good reslts where obtained, as compared to transients simulated using more detainled codes, it is concluded that GEVAP can be included as the steam generator module of a more complete systems simulation code for PWR's. (E.G.) [pt

  2. Oxidation mechanism and passive behaviour of nickel in molten carbonate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vossen, J.P.T. (ECN Fossil Fuels, Petten (Netherlands)); Ament, P.C.H.; De Wit, J.H.W. (Div. of Corrosion, Lab. for Maaterials Sceince, Delft Univ. of Technology, Delft (Netherlands))

    1994-07-01

    The oxidation and passivation mechanism and the passive behaviour of nickel in molten carbonate have been investigated with impedance measurements. The oxidation of nickel proceeds according to a dissolution and reprecipitation process. The slowest steps in the reaction sequence are the dissociation reaction of the carbonate and the diffusion of the formed NiO to the metal surface. In the passive range, dissolution of Ni[sup 2+] proceeds after diffusion of Ni[sup 2+] through the oxide layer. The Ni[sup 2+] is formed at the metal/oxide interface. The slowest process is the diffusion of bivalent nickel ions through the passive scale. The formation of trivalent nickel ions probably takes place at the oxide/melt interface. This reaction is accompanied by the incorporation of an oxygen ion and a nickel vacancy in the NiO lattice. The trivalent nickel ions and the nickel vacancy diffuse to the bulk of the oxide scale. The slowest step in this sequence is the dissociation of the carbonate ions and the incorporation of the oxygen ion in the NiO lattice. 9 figs., 2 tabs., 11 refs.

  3. Experimental and modeling study of high performance direct carbon solid oxide fuel cell with in situ catalytic steam-carbon gasification reaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Haoran; Chen, Bin; Zhang, Houcheng; Tan, Peng; Yang, Guangming; Irvine, John T. S.; Ni, Meng

    2018-04-01

    In this paper, 2D models for direct carbon solid oxide fuel cells (DC-SOFCs) with in situ catalytic steam-carbon gasification reaction are developed. The simulation results are found to be in good agreement with experimental data. The performance of DC-SOFCs with and without catalyst are compared at different operating potential, anode inlet gas flow rate and operating temperature. It is found that adding suitable catalyst can significantly speed up the in situ steam-carbon gasification reaction and improve the performance of DC-SOFC with H2O as gasification agent. The potential of syngas and electricity co-generation from the fuel cell is also evaluated, where the composition of H2 and CO in syngas can be adjusted by controlling the anode inlet gas flow rate. In addition, the performance DC-SOFCs and the percentage of fuel in the outlet gas are both increased with increasing operating temperature. At a reduced temperature (below 800 °C), good performance of DC-SOFC can still be obtained with in-situ catalytic carbon gasification by steam. The results of this study form a solid foundation to understand the important effect of catalyst and related operating conditions on H2O-assisted DC-SOFCs.

  4. Water leak detection in steam generator of SUPER PHENIX

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brunet, M.; Garnaud, P.; Ghaleb, D.; Kong, N.

    1988-01-01

    With the intent of detecting water leaks inside steam generators, we developed a third system, called acoustic detector, to complement hydrogen detectors and rupture disks (burst disks). The role of the acoustic system is to enable rapid intervention in the event of a leak growing rapidly which could rupture neighbouring tubes. In such a case, the detectable flow rate of the leak varies from a few tens of g/s to a few hundred g/s. At the SUPER PHENIX, three teams work in [20-100 kHz] and CEA/STA* [50-300 kHz]. The simulation of water leaks in the steam generator by the argon injections performed to date at 50% of the rated power has shown promising results. An anomaly in the evolution of the background noise at more than 50% loading of one of the two instrumented steam generators would make difficult any extrapolation to full power behaviour. (author)

  5. Optimal design of solid oxide fuel cell, ammonia-water single effect absorption cycle and Rankine steam cycle hybrid system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehrpooya, Mehdi; Dehghani, Hossein; Ali Moosavian, S. M.

    2016-02-01

    A combined system containing solid oxide fuel cell-gas turbine power plant, Rankine steam cycle and ammonia-water absorption refrigeration system is introduced and analyzed. In this process, power, heat and cooling are produced. Energy and exergy analyses along with the economic factors are used to distinguish optimum operating point of the system. The developed electrochemical model of the fuel cell is validated with experimental results. Thermodynamic package and main parameters of the absorption refrigeration system are validated. The power output of the system is 500 kW. An optimization problem is defined in order to finding the optimal operating point. Decision variables are current density, temperature of the exhaust gases from the boiler, steam turbine pressure (high and medium), generator temperature and consumed cooling water. Results indicate that electrical efficiency of the combined system is 62.4% (LHV). Produced refrigeration (at -10 °C) and heat recovery are 101 kW and 22.1 kW respectively. Investment cost for the combined system (without absorption cycle) is about 2917 kW-1.

  6. Methane Steam Reforming over an Ni-YSZ Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Anode in Stack Configuration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Mogensen

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The kinetics of catalytic steam reforming of methane over an Ni-YSZ anode of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC have been investigated with the cell placed in a stack configuration. In order to decrease the degree of conversion, a single cell stack with reduced area was used. Measurements were performed in the temperature range 600–800°C and the partial pressures of all reactants and products were varied. The obtained rates could be well fitted with a power law expression (r ∝PCH40.7. A simple model is presented which is capable of predicting the methane conversion in a stack configuration from intrinsic kinetics of the anode support material. The predictions are compared with the stack measurements presented here, and good agreement is observed.

  7. Ethanol internal steam reforming in intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diethelm, Stefan; Van herle, Jan

    This study investigates the performance of a standard Ni-YSZ anode supported cell under ethanol steam reforming operating conditions. Therefore, the fuel cell was directly operated with a steam/ethanol mixture (3 to 1 molar). Other gas mixtures were also used for comparison to check the conversion of ethanol and of reformate gases (H 2, CO) in the fuel cell. The electrochemical properties of the fuel cell fed with four different fuel compositions were characterized between 710 and 860 °C by I- V and EIS measurements at OCV and under polarization. In order to elucidate the limiting processes, impedance spectra obtained with different gas compositions were compared using the derivative of the real part of the impedance with respect of the natural logarithm of the frequency. Results show that internal steam reforming of ethanol takes place significantly on Ni-YSZ anode only above 760 °C. Comparisons of results obtained with reformate gas showed that the electrochemical cell performance is dominated by the conversion of hydrogen. The conversion of CO also occurs either directly or indirectly through the water-gas shift reaction but has a significant impact on the electrochemical performance only above 760 °C.

  8. Plasma steam reforming of E85 for hydrogen rich gas production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu Xinli; Hoang Trung; Lobban, Lance L; Mallinson, Richard G

    2011-01-01

    E85 (85 vol% ethanol and 15 vol% gasoline) is a partly renewable fuel that is increasing in supply availability. Hydrogen production from E85 for fuel cell or internal combustion engine applications is a potential method for reducing CO 2 emissions. Steam reforming of E85 using a nonthermal plasma (pulse corona discharge) reactor has been exploited at low temperature (200-300 0 C) without external heating, diluent gas, oxidant or catalyst in this work. Several operational parameters, including the discharge current, E85 concentration and feed flow rate, have been investigated. The results show that hydrogen rich gases (63-67% H 2 and 22-29% CO, with small amounts of CO 2 , C 2 hydrocarbons and CH 4 ) can be produced by this method. A comparison with ethanol reforming and gasoline reforming under identical conditions has also been made and the behaviour of E85 reforming is found to be close to that of ethanol reforming with slightly higher C 2 hydrocarbons yields.

  9. Analysis of steam generator tube sections removed from Gentilly-2 nuclear generating station

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Semmler, J.; Lockley, A.J.; Doyon, D.

    2010-01-01

    In order to meet the requirements of CSA Standards CAN/CSA N285.4-94, which states, 'A section of one tube in a deposit region shall be removed from one steam generator for metallurgical examination', Gentilly-2 has been removing steam generator tube sections on a regular basis for analysis at Chalk River Laboratories. In 2009 April, sections from the hot leg and the cold leg of a steam generator tube were removed for detailed metallographic examination and characterization. The hot leg tube section covered the area from within the tube sheet up to below the second support plate, and the cold leg tube section covered the area from within the tube sheet to below the third preheater support plate. After a general visual and photographic examination, the area above the tube sheet on the hot leg side where the sludge pile is highest was examined in detail. Visual and macro-photography of the two tube sections within the tube sheet were also examined. Additional metallographic and surface examinations of both tube inner diameter and tube outer diameter, and surface roughness measurements of tube inner diameter were also completed. The surface activities (μCi/cm 2 ) of cold leg and hot leg specimens were measured before and after electrolytic descaling, and major and minor radionuclides were identified; a comparison of the surface activities for hot leg with the values for the cold leg were made. The results from the initial γ-spectroscopy measurements, and the measurements after the descaling of the specimens were used to estimate decontamination factors for each specimen and for each radionuclide. The tube specimens had thin outer diameter oxides; all four steam generators were chemically cleaned in 2005. All specimens had inner diameter deposits; the inner diameter deposits on the cold leg were heavier than those on the hot leg as expected. Primary side oxide loadings of specimens were used to estimate the total oxide inventory in 2009. The oxide

  10. Effect of different B contents on the mechanical properties and cyclic oxidation behaviour of β-NiAlDy coatings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jia, Fang; Peng, Hui; Zheng, Lei; Guo, Hongbo; Gong, Shengkai; Xu, Huibin

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Dy and B co-doping strategy was proposed to modify β-NiAl coatings. • Mechanical properties and cyclic oxidation behaviour of coatings were investigated. • The addition of boron improves the mechanical properties of β-NiAl coatings. • Cyclic oxidation behaviour of coatings is influenced by chemical reactions of boron. - Abstract: NiAlDy coatings doped with 0.05 at.% and 1.00 at.% B were produced by electron beam physical vapour deposition (EB-PVD). The mechanical properties and cyclic oxidation behaviour of the coatings were investigated. Compared to the undoped NiAlDy coating, the B doped coatings exhibited improved ductility, higher micro-hardness and elastic modulus. The NiAlDy alloys revealed similar thermal expansion behaviour in a temperature range of 200–1100 °C. However, the addition of B did not show significant improvement in the cyclic oxidation resistance of NiAlDy coatings, on the contrary, the addition of 1.00 at.% B accelerated the scale growth rate and aggravated the scale rumpling, which led to severe spallation. Related mechanisms were preliminarily discussed

  11. Sodium benzoate induced developmental defects, oxidative stress and anxiety-like behaviour in zebrafish larva.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaur, Himanshu; Purushothaman, Srinithi; Pullaguri, Narasimha; Bhargava, Yogesh; Bhargava, Anamika

    2018-05-28

    Sodium benzoate (SB) is a common food preservative. Its FDA described safety limit is 1000 ppm. Lately, increased use of SB has prompted investigations regarding its effects on biological systems. Data regarding toxicity of SB is divergent and controversial with studies reporting both harmful and beneficial effects. Therefore, we did a systematic dose dependent toxicity study of SB using zebrafish vertebrate animal model. We also investigated oxidative stress and anxiety-like behaviour in zebrafish larva treated with SB. Our results indicate that SB induced developmental (delayed hatching), morphological (pericardial edema, yolk sac edema and tail bending), biochemical (oxidative stress) and behavioural (anxiety-like behaviour) abnormalities in developing zebrafish larva. LC 50 of SB induced toxicity was approximately 400 ppm after 48 h of SB exposure. Our study strongly supports its harmful effects on vertebrates at increasing doses. Thus, we suggest caution in the excessive use of this preservative in processed and convenience foods. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Energy analysis of a combined solid oxide fuel cell with a steam turbine power plant for marine applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welaya, Yousri M. A.; Mosleh, M.; Ammar, Nader R.

    2013-12-01

    Strong restrictions on emissions from marine power plants (particularly SO x , NO x ) will probably be adopted in the near future. In this paper, a combined solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and steam turbine fuelled by natural gas is proposed as an attractive option to limit the environmental impact of the marine sector. The analyzed variant of the combined cycle includes a SOFC operated with natural gas fuel and a steam turbine with a single-pressure waste heat boiler. The calculations were performed for two types of tubular and planar SOFCs, each with an output power of 18 MW. This paper includes a detailed energy analysis of the combined system. Mass and energy balances are performed not only for the whole plant but also for each component in order to evaluate the thermal efficiency of the combined cycle. In addition, the effects of using natural gas as a fuel on the fuel cell voltage and performance are investigated. It has been found that a high overall efficiency approaching 60% may be achieved with an optimum configuration using the SOFC system. The hybrid system would also reduce emissions, fuel consumption, and improve the total system efficiency.

  13. Heat transfer characteristics of horizontal steam generators under natural circulation conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hyvaerinen, J.

    1996-01-01

    This paper deals with the heat transfer characteristics of horizontal steam generators, particularly under natural circulation (decay heat removal) conditions on the primary side. Special emphasis is on the inherent features of horizontal steam generator behaviour. A mathematical model of the horizontal steam generator primary side is developed and qualitative results are obtained analytically. A computer code, called HSG, is developed to solve the model numerically, and its predictions are compared with experimental data. The code is employed to obtain for VVER 440 steam generators quantitative results concerning the dependence of primary-to-secondary heat transfer efficiency on the primary side flow rate, temperature and secondary level. It turns out that the depletion of the secondary inventory leads to an inherent limitation of the decay energy removal in VVER steam generators. The limitation arises as a consequence of the steam generator tube bundle geometry. As an example, it is shown that the grace period associated with pressurizer safety valve opening during a station black-out is 2 1/2-3 hours instead of the 5-6 hours reported in several earlier studies. (However, the change in core heat-up timing is much less-about 1 h at most.) The heat transfer limitation explains the fact that, in the Greifswald VVER 440 station black-out accident in 1975, the steam generators never boiled dry. In addition, the stability of single-phase natural circulation is discussed and insights on the modelling of horizontal steam generators with general-purpose thermal-hydraulic system codes are also presented. (orig.)

  14. An Improved Steam Injection Model with the Consideration of Steam Override

    OpenAIRE

    He , Congge; Mu , Longxin; Fan , Zifei; Xu , Anzhu; Zeng , Baoquan; Ji , Zhongyuan; Han , Haishui

    2017-01-01

    International audience; The great difference in density between steam and liquid during wet steam injection always results in steam override, that is, steam gathers on the top of the pay zone. In this article, the equation for steam override coefficient was firstly established based on van Lookeren’s steam override theory and then radius of steam zone and hot fluid zone were derived according to a more realistic temperature distribution and an energy balance in the pay zone. On this basis, th...

  15. On direct internal methane steam reforming kinetics in operating solid oxide fuel cells with nickel-ceria anodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thallam Thattai, A.; van Biert, L.; Aravind, P. V.

    2017-12-01

    Major operating challenges remain to safely operate methane fuelled solid oxide fuel cells due to undesirable temperature gradients across the porous anode and carbon deposition. This article presents an experimental study on methane steam reforming (MSR) global kinetics for single operating SOFCs with Ni-GDC (gadolinium doped ceria) anodes for low steam to carbon (S/C) ratios and moderate current densities. The study points out the hitherto insufficient research on MSR global and intrinsic kinetics for operating SOFCs with complete Ni-ceria anodes. Further, it emphasizes the need to develop readily applicable global kinetic models as a subsequent step from previously reported state-of-art and complex intrinsic models. Two rate expressions of the Power law (PL) and Langmuir-Hinshelwood (LH) type have been compared and based on the analysis, limitations of using previously proposed rate expressions for Ni catalytic beds to study MSR kinetics for complete cermet anodes have been identified. Firstly, it has been shown that methane reforming on metallic (Ni) current collectors may not be always negligible, contrary to literature reports. Both PL and LH kinetic models predict significantly different local MSR reaction rate and species partial pressure distributions along the normalized reactor length, indicating a strong need for further experimental verifications.

  16. Particles growth by steam nucleation in a containment. The PITEAS experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Layly, V.D.

    1993-01-01

    One of the major issues of the fission products inventory in the containment of a nuclear power plant during the few hours following the initiating phase of a severe accident (involving core degradation and fission products release from the fuel) is the physical behaviour of the aerosols suspended in the containment atmosphere. The aerosol mass concentration versus time is controlled by agglomeration, sedimentation, deposition on walls and steam nucleation phenomena. In order to assess the Nuclear Safety codes dealing with such phenomena, analytical experiments are necessary. PITEAS is an analytical experiment, on the behaviour of soluble aerosols in humid atmosphere. The PITEAS program covers three topics: diffusiophoresis, agglomeration and particle growth by steam nucleation. In the present work, we analyse the results of the tests devoted to the soluble particle growth and how such results are used to assess the IPSN code AEROSOL-B2 code, part of the System of codes ESCADRE. (author)

  17. Corrosion problems of PWR steam generators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Urbancik, L.; Kostal, M.

    Literature data are assessed on corrosion failures of steam generator tubes made of INCONEL 600 or INCOLOY 800. It was found that both alloys with high nickel content showed good stability in a corrosion environment while being sensitive to carbide formation on grain boundaries. The gradual depletion of chromium results from the material and corrosion resistance deteriorates. INCOLOY 800 whose chromium carbide precipitation on grain boundaries in pure water and steam is negligible up to 75O degC and which is not subject to corrosion attacks in the above media and in an oxidizing environment at a temperature to about 700 degC shows the best corrosion resistance. Its favourable properties were tested in long-term operation in the Peach Bottom 1 nuclear power plant where no failures due to corrosion of this material have been recorded since 1967. In view of oxygenic-acid surface corrosion, it is necessary to work in a neutral or slightly basic environment should any one of the two alloys be used for steam generator construction. The results are summed up of an analysis conducted for the Beznau I NOK reactor. Water treatment with ash-free amines can be used as prevention against chemical corrosion mechanisms, although the treatment itself does not ensure corrosion resistance of steam generator key components. (J.B.)

  18. Steam turbine installations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bainbridge, A.

    1976-01-01

    The object of the arrangement described is to enable raising steam for driving steam turbines in a way suited to operating with liquid metals, such as Na, as heat transfer medium. A preheated water feed, in heat transfer relationship with the liquid metals, is passed through evaporator and superheater stages, and the superheated steam is supplied to the highest pressure stage of the steam turbine arrangement. Steam extracted intermediate the evaporator and superheater stages is employed to provide reheat for the lower pressure stage of the steam turbine. Only a major portion of the preheated water feed may be evaporated and this portion separated and supplied to the superheater stage. The feature of 'steam to steam' reheat avoids a second liquid metal heat transfer and hence represents a simplification. It also reduces the hazard associated with possible steam-liquid metal contact. (U.K.)

  19. Corrosion mechanisms of zirconium alloys - study of the initial oxidation kinetics and of the mechanical behaviour of the metal/oxide system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parise, M.

    1996-12-01

    Nuclear fuel claddings are made of zirconium alloys. The conditions of use lead the cladding oxidize outside. The so-formed layers behaves like a thermal barrier and prevents from using oxidized claddings with an oxide thickness larger than 100 μm. The oxidation kinetic is approximately cubic for oxide thicknesses smaller than about 2μm, linear beyond. A kinetic model has been proposed which estimates the post-transition growth rate from the kinetic parameters of the pre-transition state and morphological features of post-transition layers. This work aims at providing the necessary elements to validate this model and studying the layers around the kinetic transition, in order to determine whether the oxidation mechanisms before and after the transition are similar. Thicknesses of the 50 - 500 nm range of the oxide layers are measured by an optical method; pre-transition kinetics are thus precisely determined. The effect of the composition, the thermal treatment and the presence of oxygen in solid solution is studied. The morphological and crystallographic study of the layers show that they exhibit a lot of similarities before and after the kinetic transition. The results concerning the kinetic aspects and the morphology of the post-transition layers point out that the proposed model leads to realistic post-transition growth rates. Furthermore, the kinetic transition corresponds to the appearance of cracks in the oxide layer. The mechanical behaviour of the metal/oxide system has been modelled at different scales. When the specific behaviours of the metal and the oxide are taken into account together with the interface geometry, radial stresses appear, which are high enough to locally open cracks. The appearance and localization of cracks depend on both the interface geometry and the stress distribution in the metal/oxide system. (author)

  20. Comprehensive investigation of process characteristics for oxy-steam combustion power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jin, Bo; Zhao, Haibo; Zou, Chun; Zheng, Chuguang

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Oxy-steam combustion exhibits better performance than oxy-CO 2 combustion. • Cost of electricity in oxy-steam combustion is 6.62% less than oxy-CO 2 combustion. • The increase of oxygen concentration in oxidant can improve its system performance. • The decrease of excess oxygen coefficient can be helpful for its system performance. • Integration with solar technology can enhance its thermodynamic performance. - Abstract: Oxy-steam combustion, as an alternative option of oxy-fuel combustion technology, is considered as a promising CO 2 capture technology for restraining CO 2 emissions from power plants. To attain its comprehensive process characteristics, process simulation, thermodynamic assessment, and sensitivity analysis for oxy-steam combustion pulverized-coal-fired power plants are investigated whilst its corresponding CO 2 /O 2 recycled combustion (oxy-CO 2 combustion) power plant is served as the base case for comparison. Techno-economic evaluation and integration with solar parabolic trough collectors are also discussed to justify its economic feasibility and improve its thermodynamic performance further, respectively. It is found that oxy-steam combustion exhibits better performance than oxy-CO 2 combustion on both thermodynamic and economic aspects, in which the cost of electricity decreases about 6.62% whilst the net efficiency and exergy efficiency increase about 0.90 and 1.01 percentage points, respectively. The increment of oxygen concentration in oxidant (20–45 mol.%) and decrease of excess oxygen coefficient (1.01–1.09) in a certain range are favorable for improving oxy-steam combustion system performance. Moreover, its thermodynamic performance can be improved when considering solar parabolic trough collectors for heating recycled water, even though its cost of electricity increases about 2 $/(MW h)

  1. Methane steam reforming kinetics over Ni-YSZ anode materials for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mogensen, David

    of internal reforming has to be carefully controlled. The objective of this thesis is to make such a careful control possible by examining the rate of internal steam reforming in SOFCs. The catalytic steam reforming activity of Ni-YSZ anode material was tested both in a packed bed reactor to determine...

  2. Application of flexible micro temperature sensor in oxidative steam reforming by a methanol micro reformer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Chi-Yuan; Lee, Shuo-Jen; Shen, Chia-Chieh; Yeh, Chuin-Tih; Chang, Chi-Chung; Lo, Yi-Man

    2011-01-01

    Advances in fuel cell applications reflect the ability of reformers to produce hydrogen. This work presents a flexible micro temperature sensor that is fabricated based on micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology and integrated into a flat micro methanol reformer to observe the conditions inside that reformer. The micro temperature sensor has higher accuracy and sensitivity than a conventionally adopted thermocouple. Despite various micro temperature sensor applications, integrated micro reformers are still relatively new. This work proposes a novel method for integrating micro methanol reformers and micro temperature sensors, subsequently increasing the methanol conversion rate and the hydrogen production rate by varying the fuel supply rate and the water/methanol ratio. Importantly, the proposed micro temperature sensor adequately controls the interior temperature during oxidative steam reforming of methanol (OSRM), with the relevant parameters optimized as well.

  3. Application of Flexible Micro Temperature Sensor in Oxidative Steam Reforming by a Methanol Micro Reformer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi-Man Lo

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Advances in fuel cell applications reflect the ability of reformers to produce hydrogen. This work presents a flexible micro temperature sensor that is fabricated based on micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS technology and integrated into a flat micro methanol reformer to observe the conditions inside that reformer. The micro temperature sensor has higher accuracy and sensitivity than a conventionally adopted thermocouple. Despite various micro temperature sensor applications, integrated micro reformers are still relatively new. This work proposes a novel method for integrating micro methanol reformers and micro temperature sensors, subsequently increasing the methanol conversion rate and the hydrogen production rate by varying the fuel supply rate and the water/methanol ratio. Importantly, the proposed micro temperature sensor adequately controls the interior temperature during oxidative steam reforming of methanol (OSRM, with the relevant parameters optimized as well.

  4. Kinetics of reactions of oxidation of carbon by carbon dioxide and water steam at high temperatures and low pressures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boulangier, Francois

    1956-01-01

    The first objective of this research thesis was to obtain new and reliable experimental results about the reaction kinetics of the oxidation of carbon by carbon dioxide and water steam, and to avoid some disturbing phenomena, for example and more particularly the appearance of electric discharges beyond 1900 K initiated by the filament thermoelectric emission. The author tried to identify the mechanism of the accelerating effect. It appears that previous experiments had been performed only in these disturbed conditions. At the lowest temperatures, the author highlighted the existence of a surface contamination by the desorption products from the apparatus [fr

  5. An experimental study of two-phase flow instability on two parallel channel with low steam quality

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang Shengyao; Wu shaorong; Bo Jinhai; Yao Meisheng; Han Bing; Zhang Youjie

    1988-01-01

    An experimental result of two-phase flow instability on two parallel channel natural circulation with low steam quality is presented. The comparison of instability in the single channel and that in parallel channel is given. The effect of unequal inlet resistance coefficient and unequal power on the parallel channel instability is described and the behaviour of instability with equal exit steam quality in the two channel is investigated

  6. U-tube steam generator modelling: application to level control and comparison with plant data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gautier, A.; Petetrot, J.F.; Roulet, A.; Ruiz, P.; Zwingelstein, G.

    1979-01-01

    A nonlinear multinode digital model of a recirculating U-tube steam generator is first described. Comparison between the model and Fessenheim and Bugey tests results on power step and full load rejection is given. These transients are of special interest because they provide information on the boiler high frequency response and also insights into steam generator non linear behaviour. An example of steam generator modelling as applied to control system design is then presented. This example demonstrates major improvement of control loop performance at low load following implementation of a non linear gain which allows more efficient control of large perturbations. Results of testing on the Bugey 4 plant are also indicated

  7. Raman spectroscopy for in-situ characterisation of steam generator deposits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rochefort, P.A.; Guzonas, D.A.; Turner, C.W.

    1997-12-01

    This report describes the effort to develop in-situ characterisation of steam generator deposits using remote raman spectroscopy to determine the chemical composition and semi-quantitative measurement of their concentrations. Information on the composition of the deposits is necessary in order to establish the optimal cleaning conditions and procedures. Furthermore, the composition of the deposits also provides information on the conditions that exist within the steam generator and the feedtrain. The raman spectra of the three most common iron oxide phases found in the CANDU deposits (hematite, magnetite and nickel ferrite) are shown

  8. Antioxidant treatment ameliorates experimental diabetes-induced depressive-like behaviour and reduces oxidative stress in brain and pancreas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Réus, Gislaine Z; Dos Santos, Maria Augusta B; Abelaira, Helena M; Titus, Stephanie E; Carlessi, Anelise S; Matias, Beatriz I; Bruchchen, Livia; Florentino, Drielly; Vieira, Andriele; Petronilho, Fabricia; Ceretta, Luciane B; Zugno, Alexandra I; Quevedo, João

    2016-03-01

    Studies have shown a relationship between diabetes mellitus (DM) and the development of major depressive disorder. Alterations in oxidative stress are associated with the pathophysiology of both diabetes mellitus and major depressive disorder. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of antioxidants N-acetylcysteine and deferoxamine on behaviour and oxidative stress parameters in diabetic rats. To this aim, after induction of diabetes by a single dose of alloxan, Wistar rats were treated with N-acetylcysteine or deferoxamine for 14 days, and then depressive-like behaviour was evaluated. Oxidative stress parameters were assessed in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, nucleus accumbens and pancreas. Diabetic rats displayed depressive-like behaviour, and treatment with N-acetylcysteine reversed this alteration. Carbonyl protein levels were increased in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and pancreas of diabetic rats, and both N-acetylcysteine and deferoxamine reversed these alterations. Lipid damage was increased in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala and pancreas; however, treatment with N-acetylcysteine or deferoxamine reversed lipid damage only in the hippocampus and pancreas. Superoxide dismutase activity was decreased in the amygdala, nucleus accumbens and pancreas of diabetic rats. In diabetic rats, there was a decrease in catalase enzyme activity in the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, nucleus accumbens and pancreas, but an increase in the hippocampus. Treatment with antioxidants did not have an effect on the activity of antioxidant enzymes. In conclusion, animal model of diabetes produced depressive-like behaviour and oxidative stress in the brain and periphery. Treatment with antioxidants could be a viable alternative to treat behavioural and biochemical alterations induced by diabetes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  9. A study on the Stress Corrosion Cracking reduction method of Steam Generator secondary side of KSNP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, June Hoon; Lee, Goune Jin

    2014-01-01

    In order to avoid sludge accumulation affecting the life of the steam generator, the best way is to prevent the sludge inflow in advance by optimization of water quality management through chemical concentration and pH control etc. However it is very difficult to prevent sludge accumulation under the weak condition of corrosion, such as condensation, boiling and high temperature of feed-water in NPPs. Particularly stress corrosion cracking occurs in a top-of-tube sheet area of steam generator with an increase in number of operation years of Korea Standard Nuclear Plant(KSNP)... The purpose of this study is to improve suppression of stress corrosion cracking and life extension for steam generator and improve plant efficiency by performing full length bulk high chemical cleaning in order to remove iron oxide of steam generator secondary side in KSNP Hanbit Unit 6. This study analyzed the Free EDTA and Fe concentrations and sludge removal after performed full length bulk high temperature chemical cleaning for removing the iron oxide of steam generator secondary side, which of Hanbit unit 6 of KSNP. 1) It showed a typical pattern that Fe concentration increased in accordance with to decrease Free EDTA(Ethylene Diamine Tetea acetic Acid) concentration. 2) Sludge removal based on iron oxide after performing the full length bulk high temperature chemical cleaning was 3001kg and sludge removal by lancing additionally was 200.1kg

  10. Modelling the release behaviour of cesium during severe fuel degradation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lewis, B.J.; Andre, B.; Morel, B.

    1995-01-01

    An analytical model has been applied to describe the diffusional release of fission product cesium from Zircaloy-clad fuel under high-temperature reactor accident conditions. The present treatment accounts for the influence of the atmosphere (i.e., changing oxygen potential) on the state of fuel oxidation and the release kinetics. The effects of fuel dissolution on the volatile release behaviour (under reducing conditions) is considered in terms of earlier crucible experiments and a simple model based on bubble coalescence and transport in metal pools. The model has been used to interpret the cesium release kinetics observed in steam and hydrogen experiments at the Vertical Irradiation (VI) Facility in the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and at the HEVA/VERCORS Facility in the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique. (author)

  11. SUS 321 HTB boiler tubing with fire grained internal surface resistant to steam-induced oxidation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kanero, Takahiro; Minami, Yuusuke; Kodera, Toshihide

    1981-01-01

    Considerable amount of scale is produced by high temperature steam on the austenitic stainless steel tubes used for the superheaters and reheaters of large boilers for power generation. The scale of outer layer separates off due to the thermal stress at the time of starting-up and stopping, and causes the blocking of pipes and the erosion of turbine blades. Following the increase of nuclear power generation, large boilers are used for medium load, accordingly it is expected that the troubles like these increase. In this paper, the manufacturing method and the properties of SUS 321 HTB with fine grain internal surface are reported, which was developed to reduce the rate of growth of scale and to prevent the separation of scale. In order to prevent the separation of scale from austenitic stainless steel tubes, the reduction of scale thickness, surface treatment such as chrome plating, the use of alloys with excellent oxidation resistance, the formation of chrome-rich film rapidly, the heat treatment of cold-worked tubes and so on were carried out. The nitrification of SUS 321 H steel brought about two-phase structure of the fine grain internal surface with excellent oxidation resistance and the rest of coarse grains with high creep strength. (Kako, I.)

  12. Water leak detection in steam generator of Super Phenix

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kong, N.; Brunet, M.; Garnaud, P.; Ghaleb, D.

    1990-01-01

    With the intent of detecting water leaks inside steam generators, we developed a third system, called acoustic detector, to complement hydrogen detectors and rupture disks (burst disks). The role of the acoustic system is to enable rapid intervention in the event of a leak growing rapidly which could rupture neighbouring tubes. In such a case, the detectable flow rate of the leak varies from a few tens of g/s to a few hundred g/s. At the Super Phenix, three teams work in parallel in complementary frequency bands: EDF (0-20 kHz), CEA/SPCI (20-100 kHz) and CEA/STA (50-300 kHz). The simulation of water leaks in the steam generator by the argon injections performed to date at 50% of the rated power has shown promising results. An anomaly in the evolution of the background noise at more than 50% loading of one of the two instrumented steam generators would make difficult any extrapolation to full power behaviour. 5 refs, 6 figs, 1 tab

  13. Early life experience contributes to the developmental programming of depressive-like behaviour, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Réus, Gislaine Z; Fernandes, Gabrielly C; de Moura, Airam B; Silva, Ritele H; Darabas, Ana Caroline; de Souza, Thays G; Abelaira, Helena M; Carneiro, Celso; Wendhausen, Diogo; Michels, Monique; Pescador, Bruna; Dal-Pizzol, Felipe; Macêdo, Danielle S; Quevedo, João

    2017-12-01

    This study used an animal model of depression induced by maternal care deprivation (MCD) to investigate whether depressive behaviour, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress were underlying factors in developmental programming after early life stress. At postnatal days (PND) 20, 30, 40, and 60, individual subsets of animals were evaluated in behavioural tests and then euthanized to assess cytokine levels and oxidative stress parameters in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus and serum. The results showed that MCD did not induce behavioural changes at PND 30 and 40. However, at PND 20 and 60, the rats displayed a depressive-like behaviour in the forced swimming test, without changes in locomotor spontaneous activity. In the brain and serum, the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)) were increased, and the anti-inflammatory cytokine (interleukin-10) level was reduced throughout developmental programming (PND 20, 30, 40 and 60). Protein carbonyl levels increased in the brain at PND 30, 40 and 60. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was decreased during all developmental programming phases evaluated in the brain. Catalase (CAT) activity was decreased at PND 20, 40 and 60 in the brain. Our results revealed that "critical episodes" in early life stressful events are able to induce behavioural alterations that persist into adulthood and can stimulate inflammation and oxidative damage in both central and peripheral systems, which are required for distinct patterns of resilience against psychiatric disorders later in life. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Steam Digest 2002

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2003-11-01

    Steam Digest 2002 is a collection of articles published in the last year on steam system efficiency. DOE directly or indirectly facilitated the publication of the articles through it's BestPractices Steam effort. Steam Digest 2002 provides a variety of operational, design, marketing, and program and program assessment observations. Plant managers, engineers, and other plant operations personnel can refer to the information to improve industrial steam system management, efficiency, and performance.

  15. Involvement of nitric oxide in anticompulsive-like effect of agmatine on marble-burying behaviour in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gawali, Nitin B; Chowdhury, Amrita A; Kothavade, Pankaj S; Bulani, Vipin D; Nagmoti, Dnyaneshwar M; Juvekar, Archana R

    2016-01-05

    In view of the reports that nitric oxide modulates the neurotransmitters implicated in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), patients with OCD exhibit higher plasma nitrate levels, and drugs useful in OCD influence nitric oxide. Agmatine is a polyamine and widely distributed in mammalian brain which interacts with nitrergic systems. Hence, the present study was carried out to understand the involvement of nitrergic systems in the anticompulsive-like effect of agmatine. We used marble-burying behaviour (MBB) of mice as the animal model of OCD, and nitric oxide levels in hippocampus (HC) and cortex homogenate were measured. Results revealed that, agmatine (20 and 40mg/kg, i.p) significantly inhibited the MBB. Intraperitoneal administration of nitric oxide enhancers viz. nitric oxide precursor - l-arginine (l-ARG) (400mg/kg and 800mg/kg) increased MBB as well as brain nitrites levels, whereas treatment with N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME) neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitor (30mg/kg and 50mg/kg, i.p.) and 7-nitroindazole (7-NI) (20mg/kg and 40mg/kg) attenuated MBB and nitrites levels in brain. Further, in combination studies, the anticompulsive-like effect of agmatine (20mg/kg, ip) was exacerbated by prior administration of l-ARG (400mg/kg) and conversely l-NAME (15mg/kg) or 7-NI (10.0mg/kg) attenuated OCD-like behaviour with HC and cortex changes in the levels of NO. None of the above treatment had any significant influence on locomotor activity. In conclusion, Agmatine is effective in ameliorating the compulsive-like behaviour in mice which appears to be related to nitric oxide in brain. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Steam-Generator Integrity Program/Steam-Generator Group Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1982-10-01

    The Steam Generator Integrity Program (SGIP) is a comprehensive effort addressing issues of nondestructive test (NDT) reliability, inservice inspection (ISI) requirements, and tube plugging criteria for PWR steam generators. In addition, the program has interactive research tasks relating primary side decontamination, secondary side cleaning, and proposed repair techniques to nondestructive inspectability and primary system integrity. The program has acquired a service degraded PWR steam generator for research purposes. This past year a research facility, the Steam Generator Examination Facility (SGEF), specifically designed for nondestructive and destructive examination tasks of the SGIP was completed. The Surry generator previously transported to the Hanford Reservation was then inserted into the SGEF. Nondestructive characterization of the generator from both primary and secondary sides has been initiated. Decontamination of the channelhead cold leg side was conducted. Radioactive field maps were established in the steam generator, at the generator surface and in the SGEF

  17. Steam drums

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crowder, R.

    1978-01-01

    Steam drums are described that are suitable for use in steam generating heavy water reactor power stations. They receive a steam/water mixture via riser headers from the reactor core and provide by means of separators and driers steam with typically 0.5% moisture content for driving turbines. The drums are constructed as prestressed concrete pressure vessels in which the failure of one or a few of the prestressing elements does not significantly affect the overall strength of the structure. The concrete also acts as a radiation shield. (U.K.)

  18. The Influence of oxide additives on Ni/Al2O3 catalysts in low temperature methane steam reforming

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lazar, Mihaela; Dan, Monica; Mihet, Maria; Almasan, Valer

    2009-01-01

    Hydrogen is industrially produced by methane steam reforming. The process is catalytic and the usual catalyst is based on Ni as the active element. The main problem of this process is its inefficiency. It requires high temperatures at which Ni also favors the formation of graphite, which deactivates the catalysts. Ni has the advantage of being much cheaper than noble metal catalysts, so many researches are done in order to improve the properties of supported Ni catalysts and to decrease the temperature at which the process is energetically efficient. In order to obtain catalysts with high activity and stability, it is essential to maintain the dispersion of the active phase (Ni particles) and the stability of the support. Both properties can be improved by addition of a second oxide to the support. In this paper we present the results obtained in preparation and characterization of Ni/Al 2 O 3 catalysts modified by addition of CeO 2 and La 2 O 3 to alumina support. The following catalysts were prepared by impregnation method: Ni/Al 2 O 3 , Ni/CeO 2 -Al 2 O 3 and Ni/La 2 O 3 -Al 2 O 3 (10 wt.% Ni and 6 wt.% additional oxide). The catalytic surface was characterized by N 2 adsorption - desorption isotherms. The hydrogen - surface bond was characterized by Thermo-Programmed-Desorption (TPD) method. All catalysts were tested in steam reforming reaction of methane in the range of 600 - 700 deg. C, at atmospheric pressure working with CH 4 :H 2 O ratio of 1:3. The modified catalysts showed a better catalytic activity and selectivity for H 2 and CO 2 formation, at lower temperatures than the simple Ni/Al 2 O 3 catalyst. (authors)

  19. A dense Pd/Ag membrane reactor for methanol steam reforming: Experimental study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Basile, A.; Gallucci, F.; Paturzo, L.

    2005-01-01

    This paper focuses on an experimental study of the methanol steam reforming (MSR) reaction. A dense Pd/Ag membrane reactor (MR) has been used, and its behaviour has been compared to the performance of a traditional reactor (TR) packed with the same catalyst type and amount. The parameters

  20. Interaction of plasma-facing materials with air and steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Druyts, F.; Fays, J.; Wu, C.H.

    2002-01-01

    In the design of ITER-FEAT, several candidate materials are foreseen for plasma-facing components of the divertor (tungsten, carbon fibre-reinforced composites (CFC), molybdenum) and the first wall (beryllium). In the view of accidental scenarios such as a loss of coolant accident or a loss of vacuum accident the reaction between these materials and steam or air remains a safety concern. To provide kinetic data, describing the chemical reactivity of plasma-facing materials in air and steam, we used coupled thermogravimetry/quadrupole mass spectrometry. In this paper we present the results of a screening investigation that compares the oxidation rates of tungsten, molybdenum, CFC and beryllium in the temperature range 300-700 deg. C. From the thermogravimetry and mass spectrometry results we obtained the reaction rates as a function of temperature. For the metals tungsten, molybdenum and beryllium, a transition is observed between protective oxidation at lower temperatures and non-protective oxidation at higher temperatures. This transition temperature lies in the range 500-550 deg. C for tungsten and molybdenum, which is lower than for beryllium. At above temperatures 550 deg. C, the oxides formed on molybdenum and tungsten volatilise. This increases the oxidation rate dramatically and can lead to mobilisation of activation products in a fusion reactor. We also performed experiments on both undoped CFC and CFC doped with 8-10% silicon. The influence of silicon doping on the chemical reactivity of CFC's in air is discussed

  1. Effects of selected metal oxide nanoparticles on Artemia salina larvae: evaluation of mortality and behavioural and biochemical responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gambardella, Chiara; Mesarič, Tina; Milivojević, Tamara; Sepčić, Kristina; Gallus, Lorenzo; Carbone, Serena; Ferrando, Sara; Faimali, Marco

    2014-07-01

    The aim was to investigate the toxicity of selected metal oxide nanoparticles (MO-NPs) on the brine shrimp Artemia salina, by evaluating mortality and behavioural and biochemical responses. Larvae were exposed to tin(IV) oxide (stannic oxide (SnO2)), cerium(IV) oxide (CeO2) and iron(II, III) oxide (Fe3O4) NPs for 48 h in seawater, with MO-NP suspensions from 0.01 to 1.0 mg/mL. Mortality and behavioural responses (swimming speed alteration) and enzymatic activities of cholinesterase, glutathione-S-transferase and catalase were evaluated. Although the MO-NPs did not induce any mortality of the larvae, they caused changes in behavioural and biochemical responses. Swimming speed significantly decreased in larvae exposed to CeO2 NPs. Cholinesterase and glutathione-S-transferase activities were significantly inhibited in larvae exposed to SnO2 NPs, whereas cholinesterase activity significantly increased after CeO2 NP and Fe3O4 NP exposure. Catalase activity significantly increased in larvae exposed to Fe3O4 NPs. In conclusion, swimming alteration and cholinesterase activity represent valid endpoints for MO-NP exposure, while glutathione-S-transferase and catalase activities appear to be NP-specific.

  2. Microstructure and corrosion performance of steam-based conversion coatings produced in the presence of TiO2 particles on aluminium alloys

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Din, Rameez Ud; Gudla, Visweswara Chakravarthy; Jellesen, Morten Stendahl

    2016-01-01

    The steam-based conversion coatings containing TiO2 particleswere prepared using a two-step process comprising of spin coating of particles onto an aluminiumsubstrate followed by a high-pressure steam treatment. Process has resulted in the formation of aluminium oxide layer (~1.3 μm thick) embedded...... to the coatings without TiO2 particles, while the shift in thepitting potential was a function of the steam treatment time and degree of particle incorporation into the oxide....... with TiO2 particles. The electrochemical measurements showthe beneficial effect of TiO2 particles in the oxide layer by exhibiting lowestanodic and cathodic activities, and reduced pit depth. The presence of TiO2 particles shifts the corrosion potentialvalues to positive side (noble side) when compared...

  3. Chemical Looping Combustion of Hematite Ore with Methane and Steam in a Fluidized Bed Reactor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samuel Bayham

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Chemical looping combustion is considered an indirect method of oxidizing a carbonaceous fuel, utilizing a metal oxide oxygen carrier to provide oxygen to the fuel. The advantage is the significantly reduced energy penalty for separating out the CO2 for reuse or sequestration in a carbon-constrained world. One of the major issues with chemical looping combustion is the cost of the oxygen carrier. Hematite ore is a proposed oxygen carrier due to its high strength and resistance to mechanical attrition, but its reactivity is rather poor compared to tailored oxygen carriers. This problem is further exacerbated by methane cracking, the subsequent deposition of carbon and the inability to transfer oxygen at a sufficient rate from the core of the particle to the surface for fuel conversion to CO2. Oxygen needs to be readily available at the surface to prevent methane cracking. The purpose of this work was to demonstrate the use of steam to overcome this issue and improve the conversion of the natural gas to CO2, as well as to provide data for computational fluid dynamics (CFD validation. The steam will gasify the deposited carbon to promote the methane conversion. This work studies the performance of hematite ore with methane and steam mixtures in a 5 cm fluidized bed up to approximately 140 kPa. Results show an increased conversion of methane in the presence of steam (from 20–45% without steam to 60–95% up to a certain point, where performance decreases. Adding steam allows the methane conversion to carbon dioxide to be similar to the overall methane conversion; it also helped to prevent carbon accumulation from occurring on the particle. In general, the addition of steam to the feed gas increased the methane conversion. Furthermore, the addition of steam caused the steam methane reforming reaction to form more hydrogen and carbon monoxide at higher steam and methane concentrations, which was not completely converted at higher concentrations and

  4. An Improved Steam Injection Model with the Consideration of Steam Override

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    He Congge

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The great difference in density between steam and liquid during wet steam injection always results in steam override, that is, steam gathers on the top of the pay zone. In this article, the equation for steam override coefficient was firstly established based on van Lookeren’s steam override theory and then radius of steam zone and hot fluid zone were derived according to a more realistic temperature distribution and an energy balance in the pay zone. On this basis, the equation for the reservoir heat efficiency with the consideration of steam override was developed. Next, predicted results of the new model were compared with these of another analytical model and CMG STARS (a mature commercial reservoir numerical simulator to verify the accuracy of the new mathematical model. Finally, based on the validated model, we analyzed the effects of injection rate, steam quality and reservoir thickness on the reservoir heat efficiency. The results show that the new model can be simplified to the classic model (Marx-Langenheim model under the condition of the steam override being not taken into account, which means the Marx-Langenheim model is corresponding to a special case of this new model. The new model is much closer to the actual situation compared to the Marx-Langenheim model because of considering steam override. Moreover, with the help of the new model, it is found that the reservoir heat efficiency is not much affected by injection rate and steam quality but significantly influenced by reservoir thickness, and to ensure that the reservoir can be heated effectively, the reservoir thickness should not be too small.

  5. Mathematical Modelling to Predict Oxidative Behaviour of Conjugated Linoleic Acid in the Food Processing Industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aitziber Ojanguren

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Industrial processes that apply high temperatures in the presence of oxygen may compromise the stability of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA bioactive isomers. Statistical techniques are used in this study to model and predict, on a laboratory scale, the oxidative behaviour of oil with high CLA content, controlling the limiting factors of food processing. This modelling aims to estimate the impact of an industrial frying process (140 °C, 7 L/h air on the oxidation of CLA oil for use as frying oil instead of sunflower oil. A factorial design was constructed within a temperature (80–200 °C and air flow (7–20 L/h range. Oil stability index (Rancimat method was used as a measure of oxidation. Three-level full factorial design was used to obtain a quadratic model for CLA oil, enabling the oxidative behaviour to be predicted under predetermined process conditions (temperature and air flow. It is deduced that temperatures applied in food processes affect the oxidation of CLA to a greater extent than air flow. As a result, it is estimated that the oxidative stability of CLA oil is less resistant to industrial frying than sunflower oil. In conclusion, thanks to the mathematical model, a good choice of the appropriate industrial food process can be selected to avoid the oxidation of the bioactive isomers of CLA, ensuring its functionality in novel applications.

  6. Steam dealkylation catalyst and a method for its activation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dorawala, T.; Reinhard, R.

    1980-01-01

    The method of activating a supported catalyst containing oxides of a group viii metal and of a group 1 a metal which comprises heating said catalyst at a rate of 10 0 to 500 0 F/hr to a temperature of 650 0 to 1400 0 F in a hydrogen atmosphere; maintaining said heated catalyst in a hydrogen atmosphere at 650 0 to 1400 0 F for 2 to 30 hours thereby forming a hydrogen-treated catalyst; and maintaining the hydrogen-treated catalyst in a steam-hydrogen atmosphere at 650 0 to 1400 0 F for 2 to 20 hours thereby forming a steamed hydrogen-treated catalyst

  7. In-vessel coolability and steam explosion in Nordic BWRs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma, W.; Hansson, R.; Li, L.; Kudinov, P.; Cadinu, F.; Tran, C-.T.

    2010-05-01

    The INCOSE project is to reduce the uncertainty in quantification of steam explosion risk and in-vessel coolability in Nordic BWR plants with the cavity flooding as a severe accident management (SAM) measure. During 2009 substantial advances and new insights into physical mechanisms were gained for studies of: (i) in-vessel corium coolability - development of the methodologies to assess the efficiency of the control rod guide tube (CRGT) cooling as a potential SAM measure; (ii) debris bed coolability - characterization of the effective particle diameter of multi-size particles and qualification of friction law for two-phase flow in the beds packed with multi-size particles; and (iii) steam explosion - investigation of the effect of binary oxides mixtures properties on steam explosion. An approach for coupling of ECM/PECM models with RELAP5 was developed to enhance predictive fidelity for melt pool heat transfer. MELCOR was employed to examine the CRGT cooling efficiency by considering an entire accident scenario, and the simulation results show that the nominal flowrate (∼10kg/s) of CRGT cooling is sufficient to maintain the integrity of the vessel in a BWR of 3900 MWth, if the water injection is activated no later than 1 hour after scram. The POMECO-FL experimental data suggest that for a particulate bed packed with multi-size particles, the effective particle diameter can be represented by the area mean diameter of the particles, while at high velocity (Re>7) the effective particle diameter is closer to the length mean diameter. The pressure drop of two-phase flow through the particulate bed can be predicted by Reed's model. The steam explosion experiments performed at high melt superheat (>200oC) using oxidic mixture of WO3-CaO didn't detect an apparent difference in steam explosion energetics and preconditioning between the eutectic and noneutectic melts. This points out that the next step of MISTEE experiment will be conducted at lower superheat. (author)

  8. Steam generator materials constraints in UK design gas-cooled reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    James, D.W.

    1988-01-01

    A widely reported problem with Magnox-type reactors was the oxidation of carbon steel components in gas circuits and steam generators. The effects of temperature, pressure, gas composition and steel composition on oxidation kinetics have been determined, thus allowing the probabilities of failure of critical components to be predicted for a given set of operating conditions. This risk analysis, coupled with regular inspection of reactor and boiler internals, has allowed continued operation of all U.K. Magnox plant. The Advanced Gas Cooled Reactor (AGR) is a direct development of the Magnox design. The first four AGRs commenced operation in 1976, at Hinkley Point 'B' and at Hunterston 'B'. All known materials problems with the steam generators have been diagnosed and solved by the development of appropriate operational strategies, together with minor plant modifications. Materials constraints no longer impose any restrictions to full load performance from the steam generators throughout the predicted life of the plant. Problems discussed in detail are: 1. oxidation of the 9 Cr - 1 Mo superheater. 2. Stress corrosion of the austenitic superheater. 3. Creep of the transition joints between the 9 Cr - 1 Mo and austenitic sections. With the 9 Cr - 1 Mo oxidation maximum temperature restriction virtually removed and creep constraints properly quantified, boiler operation in now favourably placed. Stress corrosion research has allowed the risk of tube failure to be related to time, temperature, stress and chemistry. As a result, the rigorous 'no wetting' policy has been relaxed for the normally high quality AGR feedwater, and the superheat margin has been reduced to 23 deg. C. This has increased the size of the operating window and reduced the number of expensive, and potentially harmful, plant trips. (author)

  9. Analysis of experimental characteristics of multistage steam-jet electors of steam turbines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aronson, K. E.; Ryabchikov, A. Yu.; Brodov, Yu. M.; Brezgin, D. V.; Zhelonkin, N. V.; Murmanskii, I. B.

    2017-02-01

    A series of questions for specification of physical gas dynamics model in flow range of steam-jet unit and ejector computation methodology, as well as functioning peculiarities of intercoolers, was formulated based on analysis of experimental characteristics of multistage team-jet steam turbines. It was established that coefficient defining position of critical cross-section of injected flow depends on characteristics of the "sound tube" zone. Speed of injected flow within this tube may exceed that of sound, and pressure jumps in work-steam decrease at the same time. Characteristics of the "sound tube" define optimal axial sizes of the ejector. According to measurement results, the part of steam condensing in the first-stage coolant constitutes 70-80% of steam amount supplied into coolant and is almost independent of air content in steam. Coolant efficiency depends on steam pressure defined by operation of steam-jet unit of ejector of the next stage after coolant of steam-jet stage, temperature, and condensing water flow. As a rule, steam entering content of steam-air mixture supplied to coolant is overheated with respect to saturation temperature of steam in the mixture. This should be taken into account during coolant computation. Long-term operation causes changes in roughness of walls of the ejector's mixing chamber. The influence of change of wall roughness on ejector characteristic is similar to the influence of reverse pressure of the steam-jet stage. Until some roughness value, injection coefficient of the ejector stage operating in superlimiting regime hardly changed. After reaching critical roughness, the ejector switches to prelimiting operating regime.

  10. Tritium permeation through helium-heated steam generators of ceramic breeder blankets for DEMO

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fuetterer, M.A.; Raepsaet, X.; Proust, E.

    1994-01-01

    The specifications of permeation barriers, tritium recovery process maintaining a very low tritium activity in the coolant, and control of the coolant chemistry, required the evaluation of the tritium losses through the steam generators and include the definition of its operating conditions by thermodynamic cycle calculations and its thermal-hydraulic design. For both tasks specific computer tools were developed. The obtained geometry, surface area, and temperature profiles along the heat exchanger tubes were then used to estimate the daily tritium permeation into the steam cycle. Steam oxidized Incoloy 800 austenitic stainless steel was identified as the best suited existing material; in nominal steady-state operation, the tritium escape into the steam cycle could be restricted to less than 10 Ci/d. Tritium permeation during temperature and pressure transients in the steam generator (destruction and possible self-healing of the permeation barrier) is identified to bear a large tritium release potential. Solutions are proposed. (from authors). 4 figs., 1 tab

  11. Tritium permeation through helium-heated steam generators of ceramic breeder blankets for DEMO

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fuetterer, M A; Raepsaet, X; Proust, E

    1994-12-31

    The specifications of permeation barriers, tritium recovery process maintaining a very low tritium activity in the coolant, and control of the coolant chemistry, required the evaluation of the tritium losses through the steam generators and include the definition of its operating conditions by thermodynamic cycle calculations and its thermal-hydraulic design. For both tasks specific computer tools were developed. The obtained geometry, surface area, and temperature profiles along the heat exchanger tubes were then used to estimate the daily tritium permeation into the steam cycle. Steam oxidized Incoloy 800 austenitic stainless steel was identified as the best suited existing material; in nominal steady-state operation, the tritium escape into the steam cycle could be restricted to less than 10 Ci/d. Tritium permeation during temperature and pressure transients in the steam generator (destruction and possible self-healing of the permeation barrier) is identified to bear a large tritium release potential. Solutions are proposed. (from authors). 4 figs., 1 tab.

  12. Steam sterilization does not require saturated steam

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Doornmalen Gomez Hoyos, J. P.C.M.; Paunovic, A.; Kopinga, K.

    2017-01-01

    The most commonly applied method to sterilize re-usable medical devices in hospitals is steam sterilization. The essential conditions for steam sterilization are derived from sterilization in water. Microbiological experiments in aqueous solutions have been used to calculate various time–temperature

  13. Kinetic study of the ethene oxidation by oxygen in the presence of carbon dioxide and steam over Pt/Rh/CeO2/g-Al2O3

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nibbelke, R.H.; Kreijveld, R.J.M.; Hoebink, J.H.B.J.; Marin, G.B.M.M.; Kruse, N.

    1998-01-01

    The oxidation of ethene by oxygen in the presence of steam and carbon dioxide over a commercially available Pt/Rh/CeO2/¿-Al2O3 three-way automotive catalyst was studied. Experiments were carried out in a fixed-bed micro reactor under intrinsic conditions, i.e. in the absence of external and internal

  14. Sonication-Induced Modification of Carbon Nanotubes: Effect on the Rheological and Thermo-Oxidative Behaviour of Polymer-Based Nanocomposites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arrigo, Rossella; Teresi, Rosalia; Gambarotti, Cristian; Parisi, Filippo; Lazzara, Giuseppe; Dintcheva, Nadka Tzankova

    2018-03-05

    The aim of this work is the investigation of the effect of ultrasound treatment on the structural characteristics of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and the consequent influence that the shortening induced by sonication exerts on the morphology, rheological behaviour and thermo-oxidative resistance of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)-based nanocomposites. First, CNTs have been subjected to sonication for different time intervals and the performed spectroscopic and morphological analyses reveal that a dramatic decrease of the CNT's original length occurs with increased sonication time. The reduction of the initial length of CNTs strongly affects the nanocomposite rheological behaviour, which progressively changes from solid-like to liquid-like as the CNT sonication time increases. The study of the thermo-oxidative behaviour of the investigated nanocomposites reveals that the CNT sonication has a detrimental effect on the thermo-oxidative stability of nanocomposites, especially for long exposure times. The worsening of the thermo-oxidative resistance of sonicated CNT-containing nanocomposites could be attributed to the lower thermal conductivity of low-aspect-ratio CNTs, which causes the increase of the local temperature at the polymer/nanofillers interphase, with the consequent acceleration of the degradative phenomena.

  15. Sonication-Induced Modification of Carbon Nanotubes: Effect on the Rheological and Thermo-Oxidative Behaviour of Polymer-Based Nanocomposites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teresi, Rosalia; Gambarotti, Cristian; Dintcheva, Nadka Tzankova

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this work is the investigation of the effect of ultrasound treatment on the structural characteristics of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and the consequent influence that the shortening induced by sonication exerts on the morphology, rheological behaviour and thermo-oxidative resistance of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)-based nanocomposites. First, CNTs have been subjected to sonication for different time intervals and the performed spectroscopic and morphological analyses reveal that a dramatic decrease of the CNT’s original length occurs with increased sonication time. The reduction of the initial length of CNTs strongly affects the nanocomposite rheological behaviour, which progressively changes from solid-like to liquid-like as the CNT sonication time increases. The study of the thermo-oxidative behaviour of the investigated nanocomposites reveals that the CNT sonication has a detrimental effect on the thermo-oxidative stability of nanocomposites, especially for long exposure times. The worsening of the thermo-oxidative resistance of sonicated CNT-containing nanocomposites could be attributed to the lower thermal conductivity of low-aspect-ratio CNTs, which causes the increase of the local temperature at the polymer/nanofillers interphase, with the consequent acceleration of the degradative phenomena. PMID:29510595

  16. Modeling of the steam hydrolysis in a two-step process for hydrogen production by solar concentrated energy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valle-Hernández, Julio; Romero-Paredes, Hernando; Pacheco-Reyes, Alejandro

    2017-06-01

    In this paper the simulation of the steam hydrolysis for hydrogen production through the decomposition of cerium oxide is presented. The thermochemical cycle for hydrogen production consists of the endothermic reduction of CeO2 to lower-valence cerium oxide, at high temperature, where concentrated solar energy is used as a source of heat; and of the subsequent steam hydrolysis of the resulting cerium oxide to produce hydrogen. The modeling of endothermic reduction step was presented at the Solar Paces 2015. This work shows the modeling of the exothermic step; the hydrolysis of the cerium oxide (III) to form H2 and the corresponding initial cerium oxide made at lower temperature inside the solar reactor. For this model, three sections of the pipe where the reaction occurs were considered; the steam water inlet, the porous medium and the hydrogen outlet produced. The mathematical model describes the fluid mechanics; mass and energy transfer occurring therein inside the tungsten pipe. Thermochemical process model was simulated in CFD. The results show a temperature distribution in the solar reaction pipe and allow obtaining the fluid dynamics and the heat transfer within the pipe. This work is part of the project "Solar Fuels and Industrial Processes" from the Mexican Center for Innovation in Solar Energy (CEMIE-Sol).

  17. Oxidation behaviour of U2Ti alloy in dry air

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roy, S.P.; Gupta, N.K.; Jat, Ram Avtar; Parida, S.C.; Mukerjee, S.K.

    2016-01-01

    U 2 Ti alloy is being considered as promising storage material for storage of hydrogen isotopes. However, the absorption capacity of this reactive alloy can be affected due to presence of oxygen in the process gas. Hence, it is necessary to know the kinetic of this alloy in presence of oxygen. In this study, U 2 Ti alloy was prepared by arc melting method followed by vacuum annealing. The alloy was characterized by XRD, SEM and EDX methods. The isothermal oxidation behaviour of U 2 Ti alloy was investigated in the temperature range of 548-623 K in dry air for 24 hours by using thermo gravimetric technique. The oxidation curves are shown. The oxidation curves were analysed using the rate equation: (Δm/a) n = kt, where, (Δm/a) is the mass gain per unit area, n is the power exponent, k is the rate constant and t is time in (seconds). Analysis of the results shows that the oxidation reaction follows linear rate law (n ~ 1). Using the linear rate law, the rate constant (k) of oxidation reaction was evaluated at each temperature in the range 548-623 K. The variation of (ln k) with reciprocal temperature is shown. The activation energy of this oxidation reaction in the temperature range 548-623 K was calculated using the Arrhenius equation and found to be 76 kJ/mol. The XRD analysis of the oxidation products was found to be U 3 O 8 and TiO 2 . (author)

  18. The influence of implanted yttrium on the cyclic oxidation behaviour of 304 stainless steel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Riffard, F. [Laboratoire Vellave sur l' Elaboration et l' Etude des Materiaux (LVEEM), CNRS-EA 3864, Universite Blaise Pascal Clermont-Fd II, 8 rue J.B. Fabre, B. P. 219, 43006 Le Puy-en-Velay (France)]. E-mail: riffard@iut.u-clermont1.fr; Buscail, H. [Laboratoire Vellave sur l' Elaboration et l' Etude des Materiaux (LVEEM), CNRS-EA 3864, Universite Blaise Pascal Clermont-Fd II, 8 rue J.B. Fabre, B. P. 219, 43006 Le Puy-en-Velay (France); Caudron, E. [Laboratoire Vellave sur l' Elaboration et l' Etude des Materiaux (LVEEM), CNRS-EA 3864, Universite Blaise Pascal Clermont-Fd II, 8 rue J.B. Fabre, B. P. 219, 43006 Le Puy-en-Velay (France); Cueff, R. [Laboratoire Vellave sur l' Elaboration et l' Etude des Materiaux (LVEEM), CNRS-EA 3864, Universite Blaise Pascal Clermont-Fd II, 8 rue J.B. Fabre, B. P. 219, 43006 Le Puy-en-Velay (France); Issartel, C. [Laboratoire Vellave sur l' Elaboration et l' Etude des Materiaux (LVEEM), CNRS-EA 3864, Universite Blaise Pascal Clermont-Fd II, 8 rue J.B. Fabre, B. P. 219, 43006 Le Puy-en-Velay (France); Perrier, S. [Laboratoire Vellave sur l' Elaboration et l' Etude des Materiaux (LVEEM), CNRS-EA 3864, Universite Blaise Pascal Clermont-Fd II, 8 rue J.B. Fabre, B. P. 219, 43006 Le Puy-en-Velay (France)

    2006-03-15

    High-temperature alloys are frequently used in power plants, gasification systems, petrochemical industry, combustion processes and in aerospace applications. Depending on the application, materials are subjected to corrosive atmospheres and thermal cycling. In the present work, thermal cycling was carried out in order to study the influence of implanted yttrium on the oxide scale adherence on 304 steel specimens oxidised in air at 1273 K. In situ X-ray diffraction indicates that the oxides formed at 1273 K are different on blank specimens compared to implanted specimens. Glancing angle XRD allows to analyse the oxide scale composition after cooling to room temperature. Experimental results show that yttrium implantation at a nominal dose of 10{sup 17} ions cm{sup -2} does not improve significantly the cyclic oxidation behaviour of the austenitic AISI 304 steel. However, it appears that yttrium implantation remarkably enhance the oxidation resistance during isothermal oxidation. It reduces the transient oxidation stage and the parabolic oxidation rate constant by one order of magnitude.

  19. Passive system with steam-water injector for emergency supply of NPP steam generators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Il'chenko, A.G.; Strakhov, A.N.; Magnitskij, D.N.

    2009-01-01

    The calculation results of reliability indicators of emergency power supply system and emergency feed-water supply system of serial WWER-1000 unit are presented. To ensure safe water supply to steam generators during station blackout it was suggested using additional passive emergency feed-water system with a steam-water injector working on steam generators dump steam. Calculated analysis of steam-water injector operating capacity was conducted at variable parameters of steam at the entrance to injector, corresponding to various moments of time from the beginning of steam-and-water damping [ru

  20. First approach for thermodynamic modelling of the high temperature oxidation behaviour of ternary γ′-strengthened Co–Al–W superalloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klein, L.; Zendegani, A.; Palumbo, M.; Fries, S.G.; Virtanen, S.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Thermodynamic modelling of the oxidation behaviour of a novel Co-base superalloy. • Calculated oxide layer sequence is in good agreement with formed oxide scales. • Prediction of an optimised alloy composition with increased phase stability. • Prediction of the influence of oxygen partial pressure on Al 2 O 3 formation. - Abstract: In the present work, thermodynamic modelling of the high temperature oxidation behaviour of a γ′-strengthened Co-base superalloy is presented. The ternary Co–9Al–9W alloy (values in at%) was isothermally oxidised for 500 h at 800 and 900 °C in air. Results reveal that the calculated oxide layer sequence (Thermo-Calc, TCNI6) is in good agreement with the formed oxide scales on the alloy surface. Furthermore, prediction of the influence of oxygen partial pressure on Al 2 O 3 formation is presented. The modelling results indicate pathways for alloy development or possible pre-oxidation surface treatments for improved oxidation resistance of the material

  1. Analysis of steam generator loss-of-feedwater experiments with APROS and RELAP5/MOD3.1 computer codes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Virtanen, E.; Haapalehto, T. [Lappeenranta Univ. of Technology, Lappeenranta (Finland); Kouhia, J. [VTT Energy, Nuclear Energy, Lappeenranta (Finland)

    1995-09-01

    Three experiments were conducted to study the behavior of the new horizontal steam generator construction of the PACTEL test facility. In the experiments the secondary side coolant level was reduced stepwise. The experiments were calculated with two computer codes RELAP5/MOD3.1 and APROS version 2.11. A similar nodalization scheme was used for both codes to that the results may be compared. Only the steam generator was modelled and the rest of the facility was given as a boundary condition. The results show that both codes calculate well the behaviour of the primary side of the steam generator. On the secondary side both codes calculate lower steam temperatures in the upper part of the heat exchange tube bundle than was measured in the experiments.

  2. Integrating a SOFC Plant with a Steam Turbine Plant

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rokni, Masoud; Scappin, Fabio

    2009-01-01

    A Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) is integrated with a Steam Turbine (ST) cycle. Different hybrid configurations are studied. The fuel for the plants is assumed to be natural gas (NG). Since the NG cannot be sent to the anode side of the SOFC directly, a desulfurization reactor is used to remove...

  3. Post test investigation of the single rod tests ESSI 1-11 on temperature escalation in PWR fuel rod simulators due to the Zircaloy/steam reaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hagen, S.; Kapulla, H.; Malauschek, H.; Katanishi, S.

    1987-03-01

    This KfK-report describes the posttest investigation of the single rod tests ESSI-1 to ESSI-11. The objective of these tests was to investigate the temperature escalation behaviour of Zircaloy clad PWR-fuel rods in steam. The investigation of the temperature escalation is part of the program of out-of-pile experiments (CORA) performed within the frame work of the PNS Severe Fuel Damage Program. The experimental arrangement consisted of fuel rod simulator (central tungsten heater, UO 2 ring pellets and Zircaloy cladding), Zircaloy shroud and fiber ceramic insulation. The introductory test ESSI-1 to ESSI-3 were scoping tests designed to obtain information on the temperature escalation of zircaloy in steam. ESSI-4 to ESSI-8 were run with increasing heating rates to investigate the influence of the oxide layer thickness at the start of the escalation. ESSI-9 to ESSI-11 were performed to investigate the influence of the insulation thickness on the escalation behaviour. In these tests we also learned that the gap between removed shroud and insulation has a remarkable influence due to heat removal by convection in the gap. After the test the fuel rod simulator was embedded into epoxy and cut by a diamond saw. The cross sections were photographed and investigated by metalograph microscope, SEM and EMP examinations. (orig./GL) [de

  4. 3-D analysis of fatigue crack behaviour in a shot peened steam turbine blade material

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    He, B.Y., E-mail: Binyan.he@soton.ac.uk [Engineering Materials, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ (United Kingdom); Katsamenis, O.L. [muVIS X-ray Imaging Centre, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ (United Kingdom); Mellor, B.G.; Reed, P.A.S. [Engineering Materials, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ (United Kingdom)

    2015-08-26

    Serial mechanical sectioning and high resolution X-ray tomography have been used to study the three-dimensional morphology of small fatigue cracks growing in a 12 Cr tempered martensitic steam turbine blade material. A range of surface conditions has been studied, namely polished and shot peened (with varying levels of intensity). In the polished (unpeened) condition, inclusions (alumina and manganese sulphide) played an important role in initiating and controlling early fatigue crack behaviour. When fatigue cracks initiated from an alumina stringer, the crack morphology was normally dominated by single stringers, which were always in the centre of the fatigue crack, indicating its primary role in initiation. Manganese sulphide inclusion groups however seemed to dominate and affect the crack path along both the surface and depth crack growth directions. The more intensely shot peened condition did not however evidence inclusion or stringer affected fatigue crack initiation or growth behaviour; sub-surface crack coalescence being clearly observed by both serial sectioning and computed tomography (CT) imaging techniques at a depth of about 150–180 μm. These sub-surface crack coalescences can be linked to both the extent of the compressive residual stress as well as the depth of the plastic deformation arising from the intense shot peening process. Shot peening appears to provide a different defect population that initiates fatigue cracks and competes with the underlying metallurgical defect populations. The most beneficial shot peening process would in this case appear to “deactivate” the original metallurgical defect population and substitute a known defect distribution from the shot peening process from which fatigue cracks grow rather slowly in the strain hardened surface layer which also contains compressive residual stresses. A benefit to fatigue life in bending, even under Low Cycle Fatigue (LCF) conditions, has been observed in these tests if a

  5. Computational fluid dynamics validation study of steam condensation on the containment walls

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gera, B.; Sharma, P.K.; Singh, R.K.; Vaze, K.K.

    2012-01-01

    In water cooled power reactors, significant quantities of hydrogen could be produced following a severe accident (loss-of-coolant-accident along with non availability of emergency core cooling system). A sound understanding of dispersion, stratification and diffusion of released hydrogen during severe accidents is, therefore, of practical importance and use to better understand the possibility of ignition, combustion and explosion of such releases within the context of containment safety. The presence of air and steam in the containment atmosphere also affects the hydrogen distribution as steam condensation takes place at containment walls in presence of non condensable and bulk of the mixture diffuses towards wall. The application of general purpose CFD codes for the analysis of the hydrogen behaviour within NPP containments during severe accidents has been increasing over past few years. The commercial CFD codes generally do not have built-in steam condensations models. In the present work, the adaptation of a commercial multipurpose code to this kind of problem is explained, i.e. by the implementation of models for steam condensation onto walls in presence of non-condensable gases. Steam condensation was modeled using the Uchida correlation, which was originally developed to be used for 'lumped' (volume-averaged) modeling of steam condensation in the presence of non-condensable gases. The Uchida correlation is based on experiments on natural convection from relatively small vertical plates. The present methodology has been validated against experimental data from the TOSQAN and COPAIN experimental facilities. (orig.)

  6. Thermogravimetric analysis of the beryllium/steam reaction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Druyts, Frank E-mail: fdruyts@sckcen.be; Iseghem, Pierre van

    2000-11-01

    In view of the safety assessment of new fusion reactor designs, kinetic data are needed on the beryllium/steam reaction. Therefore, thermogravimetric analysis was used to determine the reactivity of beryllium in steam as a function of temperature, irradiation history and porosity of the samples. To this purpose, reference unirradiated S-200 VHP beryllium samples were compared with specimens irradiated in the BR2 reactor up to fast neutron fluences (E>1 MeV) of respectively 1.6x10{sup 21} n cm{sup -2} (resulting in a helium content of 300 appm He and a theoretical density of 99.9%) and 4x10{sup 22} n cm{sup -2} (21000 appm He, 97.2% theoretical density). Kinetics were parabolic for all tested beryllium types at 600 deg. C. At 700 deg. C, kinetics were parabolic for the unirradiated and irradiated 99.9% dense beryllium, and accelerating/linear for the irradiated 97.2% material. At 800 deg. C, all samples showed accelerating/linear behaviour. There was no influence of porosity on the reaction rate of beryllium in steam within the limited investigated density range, except at 700 deg. C, where the measured reaction rate for the irradiated 97.2% dense samples is an order of magnitude higher than for the irradiated 99.9% dense specimens.

  7. Mathematical modeling of the coupled transport and electrochemical reactions in solid oxide steam electrolyzer for hydrogen production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ni, Meng; Leung, Michael K.H.; Leung, Dennis Y.C.

    2007-01-01

    A mathematical model was developed to simulate the coupled transport/electrochemical reaction phenomena in a solid oxide steam electrolyzer (SOSE) at the micro-scale level. Ohm's law, dusty gas model (DGM), Darcy's law, and the generalized Butler Volmer equation were employed to determine the transport of electronic/ionic charges and gas species as well as the electrochemical reactions. Parametric analyses were performed to investigate the effects of operating parameters and micro-structural parameters on SOSE potential. The results substantiated the fact that SOSE potential could be effectively decreased by increasing the operating temperature. In addition, higher steam molar fraction would enhance the operation of SOSE with lower potential. The effect of particle sizes on SOSE potential was studied with due consideration on the SOSE activation and concentration overpotentials. Optimal particle sizes that could minimize the SOSE potential were obtained. It was also found that decreasing electrode porosity could monotonically decrease the SOSE potential. Besides, optimal values of volumetric fraction of electronic particles were found to minimize electrode total overpotentials. In order to optimize electrode microstructure to minimize SOSE electricity consumption, the concept of 'functionally graded materials (FGM)' was introduced to lower the SOSE potential. The advanced design of particle size graded SOSE was found effective for minimizing electrical energy consumption resulting in efficient SOSE hydrogen production. The micro-scale model was capable of predicting SOSE hydrogen production performance and would be a useful tool for design optimization

  8. Effects of Chemistry Parameters of Primary Water affecting Leakage of Steam Generator Tube Cracks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shin, D. M.; Cho, N. C.; Kang, Y. S.; Lee, K. H. [KHNP CRI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-10-15

    Degradation of steam generator (SG) tubes can affect pressure boundary tightness. As a defense-in-depth measure, primary to secondary leak monitoring program for steam generators is implemented, and operation is allowed under leakage limits in nuclear power plants. Chemistry parameters that affect steam generator tube leakage due to primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) are investigated in this study. Tube sleeves were installed to inhibit leakage and improve tube integrity as a part of maintenance methods. Steam generators occurred small leak during operation have been replaced with new steam generators according to plant maintenance strategies. The correlations between steam generator leakage and chemistry parameters are presented. Effects of primary water chemistry parameters on leakage from tube cracks were investigated for the steam generators experiencing small leak. Unit A experienced small leakage from steam generator tubes in the end of operation cycle. It was concluded that increased solubility of oxides due to high pHT could make leakage paths, and low boron concentration lead to less blockage in cracks. Increased dissolved hydrogen may retard crack propagations, but it did not reduce leak rate of the leaking steam generator. In order to inhibit and reduce leakage, pH{sub T} was controlled by servicing cation bed operation. The test results of decreasing pHT indicate low pHT can reduce leak rate of PWSCC cracks in the end of cycle.

  9. Effects of Chemistry Parameters of Primary Water affecting Leakage of Steam Generator Tube Cracks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shin, D. M.; Cho, N. C.; Kang, Y. S.; Lee, K. H.

    2016-01-01

    Degradation of steam generator (SG) tubes can affect pressure boundary tightness. As a defense-in-depth measure, primary to secondary leak monitoring program for steam generators is implemented, and operation is allowed under leakage limits in nuclear power plants. Chemistry parameters that affect steam generator tube leakage due to primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) are investigated in this study. Tube sleeves were installed to inhibit leakage and improve tube integrity as a part of maintenance methods. Steam generators occurred small leak during operation have been replaced with new steam generators according to plant maintenance strategies. The correlations between steam generator leakage and chemistry parameters are presented. Effects of primary water chemistry parameters on leakage from tube cracks were investigated for the steam generators experiencing small leak. Unit A experienced small leakage from steam generator tubes in the end of operation cycle. It was concluded that increased solubility of oxides due to high pHT could make leakage paths, and low boron concentration lead to less blockage in cracks. Increased dissolved hydrogen may retard crack propagations, but it did not reduce leak rate of the leaking steam generator. In order to inhibit and reduce leakage, pH_T was controlled by servicing cation bed operation. The test results of decreasing pHT indicate low pHT can reduce leak rate of PWSCC cracks in the end of cycle

  10. Carbon deposition thresholds on nickel-based solid oxide fuel cell anodes II. Steam:carbon ratio and current density

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuhn, J.; Kesler, O.

    2015-03-01

    For the second part of a two part publication, coking thresholds with respect to molar steam:carbon ratio (SC) and current density in nickel-based solid oxide fuel cells were determined. Anode-supported button cell samples were exposed to 2-component and 5-component gas mixtures with 1 ≤ SC ≤ 2 and zero fuel utilization for 10 h, followed by measurement of the resulting carbon mass. The effect of current density was explored by measuring carbon mass under conditions known to be prone to coking while increasing the current density until the cell was carbon-free. The SC coking thresholds were measured to be ∼1.04 and ∼1.18 at 600 and 700 °C, respectively. Current density experiments validated the thresholds measured with respect to fuel utilization and steam:carbon ratio. Coking thresholds at 600 °C could be predicted with thermodynamic equilibrium calculations when the Gibbs free energy of carbon was appropriately modified. Here, the Gibbs free energy of carbon on nickel-based anode support cermets was measured to be -6.91 ± 0.08 kJ mol-1. The results of this two part publication show that thermodynamic equilibrium calculations with appropriate modification to the Gibbs free energy of solid-phase carbon can be used to predict coking thresholds on nickel-based anodes at 600-700 °C.

  11. HTGR steam generator development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schuetzenduebel, W.G.; Hunt, P.S.; Weber, M.

    1976-01-01

    More than 40 gas-cooled reactor plants have produced in excess of 400 reactor years of operating experience which have proved a reasonably high rate of gas-cooled reactor steam generator availability. The steam generators used in these reactors include single U-tube and straight-tube steam generators as well as meander type and helically wound or involute tube steam generators. It appears that modern reactors are being equipped with helically wound steam generators of the once-through type as the end product of steam generator evolution in gas-cooled reactor plants. This paper provides a general overview of gas-cooled reactor steam generator evolution and operating experience and shows how design criteria and constraints, research and development, and experience data are factored into the design/development of modern helically wound tube steam generators for the present generation of gas-cooled reactors

  12. Field test results for steam oxidation of TP347H FG - growth of inner oxide

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Montgomery, Melanie; Jianmin, Jia; Larsen, OH

    2005-01-01

    A series of field tests have been conducted with TP347H FG in test superheater loops in coal-fired and biomass fired boilers of steam pressure 256 and 91 bar respectively. The exposure times are from 3,500 to 30,000 hours and the temperature range is from 450-630¢XC. The morphology, composition...

  13. Influence of the chemical composition and the fabrication process on the behaviour of high temperature oxidation of Fe-Cr-Al alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clemendot, F.; Arnoldi, F.; Cerede, J.B.; Dionnet, B.; Nardou, F.; Duysen, J.C. van

    1993-01-01

    The oxidation behaviour of four industrial Fe-Cr-Al alloys was studied. Two of them were Fe-Cr-Al alloys fabricated either by melting or by powder metallurgy. The two other ones were Fe-Cr-Al-Y alloys either produced by melting or by mechanical alloying. On these alloys, we determined oxidation kinetics and observed the morphology of the oxide layer after isothermal and cyclic exposures from 1000 C up to 1300 C. The beneficial effect of yttrium on the adherence of oxide layers was confirmed. The powder metallurgy fabrication route does not improve the oxidation resistance of yttrium-free alloys. On the other hand, the association of the powder metallurgy and the addition of yttrium allow the manufacturing of alloys which present an excellent behaviour to high temperature oxidation. (orig.)

  14. Method and apparatus for enhanced heat recovery from steam generators and water heaters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knight, Richard A.; Rabovitser, Iosif K.; Wang, Dexin

    2006-06-27

    A heating system having a steam generator or water heater, at least one economizer, at least one condenser and at least one oxidant heater arranged in a manner so as to reduce the temperature and humidity of the exhaust gas (flue gas) stream and recover a major portion of the associated sensible and latent heat. The recovered heat is returned to the steam generator or water heater so as to increase the quantity of steam generated or water heated per quantity of fuel consumed. In addition, a portion of the water vapor produced by combustion of fuel is reclaimed for use as feed water, thereby reducing the make-up water requirement for the system.

  15. Response of the steam generator VVER 1000 to a steam line break

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Novotny, J.; Novotny, J. Jr.

    2003-01-01

    Dynamic effects of a steam line break in the weld of the steam pipe and the steam collector on the steam generator system are analyzed. Modelling of a steam line break may concern two cases. The steam line without a restraint and the steam line protected by a whip restraint with viscous elements applied at the postulated break cross-section. The second case is considered. Programme SYSTUS offers a special element the stiffness and viscous damping coefficients of which may be defined as dependent on the relative displacement and velocity of its nodes respectively. A circumferential crack is simulated by a sudden decrease of longitudinal and lateral stiffness coefficients of these special SYSTUS elements to zero. The computation has shown that one can simulate the pipe to behave like completely broken during a time interval of 0,0001 s or less. These elements are used to model the whip restraint with viscous elements and viscous dampers of the GERB type as well. In the case of a whip restraint model the stiffness coefficient-displacement relation and damping coefficient - velocity relation are chosen to fit the given characteristics of the restraint. The special SYSTUS elements are used to constitute Maxwell elements modelling the elasto-plastic and viscous properties of the GERB dampers applied to the steam generator. It has been ascertained that a steam line break at the postulated weld crack between the steam pipe and the steam generator collector cannot endanger the integrity of the system even in a case of the absence of a whip restraint effect. (author)

  16. Characterization of catalysts Rh and Ni/CexZr1-xO2 for hydrogen production by ethanol steam reforming

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Birot, A.

    2005-01-01

    This work concerned a study on catalytic behaviour of metallic catalysts (Rh or Ni) supported on earth rare oxides Ce x Zr 1-x O 2 in ethanol steam reforming in order to produce hydrogen. Catalyst 1%Rh/Ce0,50Zr0,50O 2 showed a good activity with a good hydrogen yield. We turned a study onto understanding inter-conversion reaction between H 2 , CO and CO 2 which lead to CH 4 formation. We also studied intrinsic properties of catalysts. We confirmed basic character of catalysts and a good hydrogenation activity. A good activity in CO hydrogenation allowed to evidence a necessity to use a catalyst which is less active in hydrogenation reaction and with a basic character in order to improve hydrogen yield. (author)

  17. Procedure for generating steam and steam generator for operating said procedure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chlique, Bernard.

    1975-01-01

    This invention concerns the generation of steam by bringing the water to be vaporised into indirect thermal exchange relation with the heating steam which condenses when passing in series, along alternate routes, through bundles of tubes immersed in a vaporising chamber. A number of steam generators working on this principle already exist. The purpose of the invention is to modify the operating method of these steam generators by means of a special disposition making it possible to build a compact unit including an additional bundle of tubes heated by the condensates collected at the outlet of each bundle through which the heating steam passes [fr

  18. Zircaloy-oxidation and hydrogen-generation rates in degraded-core accident situations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chung, H.M.; Thomas, G.R.

    1983-02-01

    Oxidation of Zircaloy cladding is the primary source of hydrogen generated during a degraded-core accident. In this paper, reported Zircaloy oxidation rates, either measured at 1500 to 1850 0 C or extrapolated from the low-temperature data obtained at 0 C, are critically reviewed with respect to their applicability to a degraded-core accident situation in which the high-temperature fuel cladding is likely to be exposed to and oxidized in mixtures of hydrogen and depleted steam, rather than in an unlimited flux of pure steam. New results of Zircaloy oxidation measurements in various mixtures of hydrogen and steam are reported for >1500 0 C. The results show significantly smaller oxidation and, hence, hydrogen-generation rates in the mixture, compared with those obtained in pure steam. It is also shown that a significant fraction of hydrogen, generated as a result of Zircaloy oxidation, is dissolved in the cladding material itself, which prevents that portion of hydrogen from reaching the containment building space. Implications of these findings are discussed in relation to a more realistic method of quantifying the hydrogen source term for a degraded-core accident analysis

  19. Extended layup of steam generators during a refurbishment outage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marks, C.R.; Little, M.D.; Slade, J.; Gendron, T.

    2009-01-01

    In May 2008, Point Lepreau Generating Station (PLGS), owned and operated by New Brunswick Power Nuclear (NBPN), entered an extended refurbishment outage initially expected to last approximately 18 months. NBPN had the two inter-related goals with respect to layup of the steam generators during this period: equipment preservation and inspection interval modification. The steam generators were to be preserved such that there was no loss of operating life due to corrosion of either the tubing (Alloy 800NG) or other internal components (with carbon steel being the limiting material with respect to corrosion). Additionally, NBPN desired that the time in layup not count as operating time in setting the schedule for future inspections. That is, a key goal of the steam generator layup is that the future inspection interval be based on operating time, not calendar time. The NBPN approach consists of the following four steps: A review of industry operating experience with long outages (including both PWRs and PHWRs); The development of technically based layup strategies and procedures; A mid-outage review of the implementation of the layup strategies and procedures; and A post-outage review to determine if the actual conditions in the steam generators will support modification of the inspection interval. This paper discusses the results of the first three of these steps. At this time, the plant is still in the refurbishment outage. Throughout the outage evaluation process, the following issues have been the main focus of the reviews: The potential for degradation (pitting and cracking) of steam generator tubes; The potential for general corrosion of carbon and low alloy steel internals; Oxidation of deposits (which could subsequently lead to oxidizing conditions during operation, possibly leading to tube degradation). This paper discusses the industry operating experience reviewed, the pre-outage assessments, and the mid-outage assessments. Current outage planning places the

  20. The oxidation behaviour of uranium in air at 348-765 K

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bennett, M.J.; Price, J.B.

    1981-01-01

    The oxidation behaviour of adjusted uranium has been examined in air, at atmospheric pressure, at 348-765 K. Particular emphasis has been directed to the role of swelling resulting from prior irradiation of the metal to a burn-up of 5600-9100 MWd/t and an addition of 2.5 x 10 4 vpm water vapour to the air. Pre-irradiation of uranium enhanced its attack by air at 348-523 K, the enhancement increasing progressively with percentage swelling. This effect resulted primarily from the break-up of the uranium surface during oxidation with the generation of a greater reaction surface area and was independent of the temperature of oxidation in dry air and also above 423 K in wet air. At lower temperatures, however, the water vapour addition increased the effective reaction rate, possibly by the transistory involvement of uranium hybride. The influence of the water vapour increased with swelling of the irradiated uranium and was greater than that exerted on the oxidation of unirradiated uranium at comparable temperatures. With increasing temperature above 623 K, swelling had a progressively decreasing influence upon the attack of irradiated uranium in both environments. (orig.)

  1. The effect of steam separataor efficiency on transient following a steam line break

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, J.H.; Ohn, M.Y.; Lee, N.H.; Hwang, S.T.; Lee, S.K.

    1996-01-01

    Detailed thermalhydraulic simulations for CANDU 6 steam line break inside containment are performed to predict the response of the primary and secondary circuits. The analysis is performed using the thermalhydraulic computer code, CATHENA, with a coupled primary and secondary circuit model. A two-loop representation of the primary and secondary circuits is modelled. The secondary circuit model includes the feedwater line from the deaerator storage tank, multi-node steam generators and the steam line up to the turbine. Two cases were carried out using different assumptions for the efficiency of the steam separators. Case 1 assumes the efficiency of the steam separators becomes zero when the water level in the steam drum increases to the elevation of primary cyclones, or the outlet flow from the steam generator becomes higher than 150 % of normal flow. Case 2 assumes the efficiency becomes zero only when the water level in the steam drum reaches the elevation of primary cyclones. The simulation results show that system responses are sensitive to the assumption for the efficiency of the steam separators and case 1 gives higher discharge energy. Fuel cooling is assured, since primary circuit is cooled down sufficiently by the steam generators for both cases. (author)

  2. Steam separator-superheater with drawing of a fraction of the dried steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bessouat, Roger; Marjollet, Jacques.

    1976-01-01

    This invention concerns a vertical separator-superheater of the steam from a high pressure expansion turbine before it is admitted to an expansion turbine at a lower pressure, by heat exchange with steam under a greater pressure, and drawing of a fraction of the dried steam before it is superheated. Such drawing off is necessary in the heat exchange systems of light water nuclear reactors. Its purpose is to provide a separator-superheater that provides an even flow of non superheated steam and a regular distribution of the steam to be superheated to the various superheating bundles, with a significantly uniform temperature of the casing, thereby preventing thermal stresses and ensuring a minimal pressure drop. The vertical separator-superheater of the invention is divided into several vertical sections comprising as from the central area, a separation area of the steam entrained water and a superheater area and at least one other vertical section with only a separation area of the steam entrained water [fr

  3. A standing pressure wave hypothesis of oscillating forces generated during a steam line break

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tinoco, H.

    2001-01-01

    A rapid glance at the figure depicting the net forces acting on the reactor vessel and internals, as obtained through a CFD simulation of a BWR steam line break, reveals an amazing oscillating regularity of these forces which is in glaring contrast to the chaotic behaviour of the steam pressure field in the steam annulus. Assuming that the decompression process excites and maintains standing pressure waves in the annular cylindrical region constituted by the steam annulus, it is possible to reconstruct the net forces acting on the reactor vessel and internals through the contribution of almost only the first dispersive mode. If a Neumann boundary condition is assumed at the section connecting the steam annulus to the steam dome, the frequency predicted is approximately % 5.9 higher than that of the CFD simulations. However, this connecting section allows wave transmission, and a more appropriate boundary condition should be one of the Robin type. Therefore, this section is modelled as an absorbing wall, and the corresponding normal impedance is calculated using the CFD simulations. Week non-linear effects can also be observed in the calculated forces through the presence of the first subharmonic. By the methodology described above, an estimate of the forces acting on the reactor vessel and internals of unit 3 of Forsmark Nuclear Power Plant has been obtained. (author)

  4. Evaluation of steam corrosion and water quenching behavior of zirconium-silicide coated LWR fuel claddings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeom, Hwasung; Lockhart, Cody; Mariani, Robert; Xu, Peng; Corradini, Michael; Sridharan, Kumar

    2018-02-01

    This study investigates steam corrosion of bulk ZrSi2, pure Si, and zirconium-silicide coatings as well as water quenching behavior of ZrSi2 coatings to evaluate its feasibility as a potential accident-tolerant fuel cladding coating material in light water nuclear reactor. The ZrSi2 coating and Zr2Si-ZrSi2 coating were deposited on Zircaloy-4 flats, SiC flats, and cylindrical Zircaloy-4 rodlets using magnetron sputter deposition. Bulk ZrSi2 and pure Si samples showed weight loss after the corrosion test in pure steam at 400 °C and 10.3 MPa for 72 h. Silicon depletion on the ZrSi2 surface during the steam test was related to the surface recession observed in the silicon samples. ZrSi2 coating (∼3.9 μm) pre-oxidized in 700 °C air prevented substrate oxidation but thin porous ZrO2 formed on the coating. The only condition which achieved complete silicon immobilization in the oxide scale in aqueous environments was the formation of ZrSiO4 via ZrSi2 coating oxidation in 1400 °C air. In addition, ZrSi2 coatings were beneficial in enhancing quenching heat transfer - the minimum film boiling temperature increased by 6-8% in the three different environmental conditions tested. During repeated thermal cycles (water quenching from 700 °C to 85 °C for 20 s) performed as a part of quench tests, no spallation and cracking was observed and the coating prevented oxidation of the underlying Zircaloy-4 substrate.

  5. Experiment Plan of High Temperature Steam and Carbon dioxide Co-electrolysis for Synthetic Gas Production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoon, Duk-Joo; Ko, Jae-Hwa

    2008-01-01

    Currently, Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) come into the spotlight in the middle of the energy technologies of the future for highly effective conversion of fossil fuels into electricity without carbon dioxide emission. The SOFC is a reversible cell. By applying electrical power to the cell, which is solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC), it is possible to produce synthetic gas (syngas) from high temperature steam and carbon dioxide. The produced syngas (hydrogen and carbon monoxide) can be used for synthetic fuels. This SOEC technology can use high temperature from VHTRs for high efficiency. This paper describes KEPRI's experiment plan of high temperature steam and carbon co-electrolysis for syngas production using SOEC technology

  6. The oxidation behaviour of Fe-9Cr-1Mo steels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rowlands, P.C.; Holmes, D.R.; Whittaker, A.; Brierley, R.A.; Garrett, J.C.P.

    1983-01-01

    The oxidation behaviour of Fe9Cr1Mo steels over a wide range of conditions covering likely operating environments has been determined. In particular the effects of temperature, gas composition and materials variables on production materials have been investigated. From this work the mechanisms of protective and breakaway corrosion have broadly been elucidated. The vital role of carbon deposition in the oxide and carburisation of the metal has been determined. Aspects of the breakaway and protective oxidation mechanisms have been incorporated into a statistical model for predicting breakaway initiation and boiler component life. The results obtained from the tube life calculations indicate very low probabilities of component failure for coolant gas compositions containing up to the equivalent of 825 vppm H 2 O and 1%CO. For a more aggressive gas at the upper limit of CO concentration (2%CO) there is a small probability of failure within 25 years for finned boiler tubes. Current work may in time allow these constraints composition to be relaxed. The information gained has been used in the design of Heysham II/Torness to reduce the probabilities of 9Cr component failure to insignificant levels. (author)

  7. Oxidation of boron carbide at high temperatures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steinbrueck, Martin

    2005-01-01

    The oxidation kinetics of various types of boron carbides (pellets, powder) were investigated in the temperature range between 1073 and 1873 K. Oxidation rates were measured in transient and isothermal tests by means of mass spectrometric gas analysis. Oxidation of boron carbide is controlled by the formation of superficial liquid boron oxide and its loss due to the reaction with surplus steam to volatile boric acids and/or direct evaporation at temperatures above 1770 K. The overall reaction kinetics is paralinear. Linear oxidation kinetics established soon after the initiation of oxidation under the test conditions described in this report. Oxidation is strongly influenced by the thermohydraulic boundary conditions and in particular by the steam partial pressure and flow rate. On the other hand, the microstructure of the B 4 C samples has a limited influence on oxidation. Very low amounts of methane were produced in these tests

  8. The effect of oxide microstructure on kinetic transition in out-of-pile steam corrosion test for Zircaloy-2 and Nb-added Zircaloy-2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nanikawa, Shuichi [Japan Nuclear Fuel Co. Ltd., Yokosuka, Kanagawa (Japan); Etoh, Yoshinori [Japan Nuclear Fuel Co. Ltd., Yokohama, Kanagawa (Japan)

    2001-06-01

    In order to study the mechanism of kinetic transition of corrosion rate for zirconium alloys, oxide films formed on Zircaloy-2 (Zry-2) and Nb-added Zircaloy-2 (0.5Nb/Zry-2) in steam at 673 K and 10.3 MPa were examined with TEM and SIMS. Kinetic transition occurred at almost the same oxide thicknesses for both Zry-2 and 0.5Nb/Zry-2, but the corrosion rate after the transitions were quite different for the two alloys. Zircaloy-2 showed cyclical oxidation, while the weight gain of 0.5Nb/Zry-2 increased linearly. The morphology and crystal structure were similar for the oxides of the two alloys and both the oxide films still mainly consisted of columnar grains even after the transition. Interface layers which mainly consisted of {alpha}-Zr crystallites were observed for both alloys and the oxygen content in the interface layers increased after the transition. The solute concentrations of Fe, Cr and Ni became higher, accompanying the increase of oxygen concentrations at columnar grain boundaries in the oxide films after the transition for 0.5Nb/Zry-2. It was thought that the properties of grain boundaries of the 0.5Nb/Zry-2 oxide films changed after the transition, and the increase in oxygen diffusivity at grain boundaries caused the linear increase in weight gain. (author)

  9. Study mechanism of growth and spallation of oxide scales formed after T91 steel oxidation in water vapor at 550 C

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Demizieux, Marie-Christine

    2015-01-01

    In the framework of the development of Generation IV reactors and specifically in the new Sodium Fast Reactor (SFR) project, Fe-9Cr ferritic-martensitic steels are candidates as structural materials for steam generators. Indeed, Fe-9Cr steels are already widely used in high temperature steam environments - like boilers and steam turbines- for their combination of creep strength and high thermal properties. Many studies have been focused on Fe-9Cr steels oxidation behavior between 550 C-700 C.Depending on the oxidizing environment, formation of a triplex (Fe-Cr spinel/magnetite/hematite) or duplex (Fe-Cr spinel/magnetite) oxide scales are reported.. Besides, for long time exposure in steam, the exfoliation of oxide scales can cause serious problems such as tube obstruction and steam turbine erosion. Consequently, this work has been dedicated to study, on the one hand the oxidation kinetics of T91 steel in water vapor environments, and on the other hand, the mechanisms leading to the spallation of the oxide scale. Oxidation tests have been carried out at 550 C in pure water vapor and in Ar/D_2O/H_2 environments with different hydrogen contents. Based on an analytical resolution, a quantitative modeling has shown that the 'available space model' proposed in the literature for duplex oxide scale formation well reproduces both scales growth kinetics and spinel oxide stoichiometry. Then, oxidized samples have been precisely characterized and it turns out that buckling then spalling of the oxide scale is always located in the magnetite layer. Voids observed in the magnetite layer are major initiation sites of de-cohesion of the outer oxide scale. A mechanism of formation of these voids has been proposed, in accordance with the mechanism of duplex scale formation. The derived model based on the assumption that vacancies accumulate where the iron vacancies flux divergence is maximal gives a good estimation of the location of pores inside the magnetite layer. Then, in order

  10. Steam reforming of cyclic model compounds of bio-oil over Ni-based catalysts: Product distribution and carbon formation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Trane-Restrup, Rasmus; Jensen, Anker Degn

    2015-01-01

    Steam reforming (SR) and oxidative steam reforming (OSR) of furfural, 2-methylfuran, and guaiacol have been investigated in the temperature range 400-800°C at a steam to carbon (S/C)-ratio of 5 and oxygen to carbon (O/C)-ratio of 0.2-1.4 over Ni/CeO2-K/MgAl2O4. Carbon oxides and H2 were the major...... products in the SR of 2-methylfuran and furfural, while the by-products were methane, ethanol, 2-propanol, and acetone. Temperatures of 500°C or above were needed to minimize the formation of by-products in the SR of 2-methylfuran and furfural. Phenolics, like benzenediols and phenol, were produced in high...... yields in the SR of guaiacol and temperatures of 780°C were needed to totally convert guaiacol to carbon oxides and H2.Carbon deposition was observed in the SR of all three model compounds and was most severe for guaiacol followed by furfural and 2-methylfuran. The carbon deposition could be reduced...

  11. Bi-reforming of methane from any source with steam and carbon dioxide exclusively to metgas (CO-2H2) for methanol and hydrocarbon synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olah, George A; Goeppert, Alain; Czaun, Miklos; Prakash, G K Surya

    2013-01-16

    A catalyst based on nickel oxide on magnesium oxide (NiO/MgO) thermally activated under hydrogen is effective for the bi-reforming with steam and CO(2) (combined steam and dry reforming) of methane as well as natural gas in a tubular flow reactor at elevated pressures (5-30 atm) and temperatures (800-950 °C). By adjusting the CO(2)-to-steam ratio in the gas feed, the H(2)/CO ratio in the produced syn-gas could be easily adjusted in a single step to the desired value of 2 for methanol and hydrocarbon synthesis.

  12. Comparative study of high temperature oxidation behaviour in AISI 304 and AISI 439 stainless steels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antônio Claret Soares Sabioni

    2003-06-01

    Full Text Available This work deals with a comparison of high temperature oxidation behaviour in AISI 304 austenitic and AISI 439 ferritic stainless steels. The oxidation experiments were performed between 850 and 950 °C, in oxygen and Ar (100 vpm H2. In most cases, it was formed a Cr2O3 protective scale, whose growth kinetics follows a parabolic law. The exception was for the the AISI 304 steel, at 950 °C, in oxygen atmosphere, which forms an iron oxide external layer. The oxidation resistance of the AISI 439 does not depend on the atmosphere. The AISI 304 has the same oxidation resistance in both atmospheres, at 850 °C, but at higher temperatures, its oxidation rate strongly increases in oxygen atmosphere. Concerning the performance of these steels under oxidation, our results show that the AISI 439 steel has higher oxidation resistance in oxidizing atmosphere, above 850 °C, while, in low pO2 atmosphere, the AISI 304 steel has higher oxidation resistance than the AISI 439, in all the temperature range investigated.

  13. The testing of a steam-water separating device used for vertical steam generators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ding Xunshen; Cui Baoyuan; Xue Yunkui; Liu Shixun

    1989-01-01

    The air-water screening tests of a steam-water separating device used for vertical steam generators at low pressure are introduced. The article puts emphasis on the qualification test of the steam-water separating device at hot conditions in a high temperature and pressure water test rig. The performance of the comprehensive test of the steam-water separating device indicates that the humidity of the steam at the drier exit is much less than the specified amount of 0.25%

  14. Fracture toughness determination in steam generator tubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bergant M; Yawny, A; Perez Ipina, J

    2012-01-01

    The assessment of the structural integrity of steam generator tubes in nuclear power plants deserved increasing attention in the last years due to the negative impact related to their failures. In this context, elastic plastic fracture mechanics (EPFM) methodology appears as a potential tool for the analysis. The application of EPFM requires, necessarily, knowledge of two aspects, i.e., the driving force estimation in terms of an elastic plastic toughness parameter (e.g., J) and the experimental measurement of the fracture toughness of the material (e.g., the material J-resistance curve). The present work describes the development of a non standardized experimental technique aimed to determine J-resistance curves for steam generator tubes with circumferential through wall cracks. The tubes were made of Incoloy 800 (Ni: 30.0-35.0; Cr: 19.0-23.0; Fe: 35.5 min, % in weight). Due to its austenitic microstructure, this alloy shows very high toughness and is widely used in applications where a good corrosion resistance in aqueous environment or an excellent oxidation resistance in high temperature environment is required. Finally, a procedure for the structural integrity analysis of steam generator tubes with crack-like defects, based on a FAD diagram (Failure Assessment Diagram), is briefly described (author)

  15. Silicon carbide-silicon as a support material for oxygen evolution reaction in PEM steam electrolysers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nikiforov, Aleksey; Petrushina, Irina; Christensen, Erik

    cells. In the present work a commercial SiC-Si, produced by the Acheson process, with a fraction of free silicon around 20% wt. was investigated as a catalyst support for anode electrocatalyst in PEM steam electrolysers. This electrocatalyst system was characterized using several techniques such as XRD......, cyclic voltammetry, SEM, EDX and steady state electrochemical polarisation in a working PEM steam electrolyser. Several SiC-Si-IrO2 electrodes have been prepared and tested. The iridium oxide content at the electrode active layer varied from x=0.2 to x=1, corresponding to the general formula (1-x...... for phosphoric acid doped membrane steam electrolysers....

  16. Oxidation of SiC cladding under Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) conditions in LWRs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Y.; Yue, C.; Arnold, R. P.; McKrell, T. J.; Kazimi, M. S.

    2012-01-01

    An experimental assessment of Silicon Carbide (SiC) cladding oxidation rate in steam under conditions representative of Loss of Coolant Accidents (LOCA) in light water reactors (LWRs) was conducted. SiC oxidation tests were performed with monolithic alpha phase tubular samples in a vertical quartz tube at a steam temperature of 1140 deg. C and steam velocity range of 1 to 10 m/sec, at atmospheric pressure. Linear weight loss of SiC samples due to boundary layer controlled reaction of silica scale (SiO 2 volatilization) was experimentally observed. The weight loss rate increased with increasing steam flow rate. Over the range of test conditions, SiC oxidation rates were shown to be about 3 orders of magnitude lower than the oxidation rates of zircaloy 4. A SiC volatilization correlation for developing laminar flow in a vertical channel is formulated. (authors)

  17. Aerosol trapping in steam generator (artist): an investigation of aerosol and iodine behaviour in the secondary side of a steam generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guentay, S.; Birchley, J.; Suckow, D.; Dehbi, A.

    2000-01-01

    Incidents such as a steam generator tube rupture (SGTR) with stuck-open relief valve are important accident sequences for analysis by virtue of the open path for release of radioactivity which ensues. The release may be mitigated by deposition of fission products on the steam generator (SG) tubes and other structures, or by scrubbing in the secondary coolant. The absence of empirical data, the complexity of the geometry and controlling processes, however, make the retention difficult to quantify and its full import is typically not taken into account in risk assessment studies. The ARTIST experimental programme at PSI will simulate the flow and retention of aerosol-borne fission products in the SG secondary, and thus provide a unique database to support safety assessments and analytical models. Scaling of the break flow represents a particular challenge since the aerosol retention processes operate at contrasting length scales. Preliminary calculations have identified a baseline set of conditions, and confirmed the feasibility of the rig design and scaling principles. Flexibility of the rig layout enables simulations to be performed for a range of SG designs, accident situations and accident management philosophies. (authors)

  18. Strategies for steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hennagir, T.

    1996-01-01

    This article is a review of worldwide developments in the steam turbine and heat recovery steam generator markets. The Far East is driving the market in HRSGs, while China is driving the market in orders placed for steam turbine prime movers. The efforts of several major suppliers are discussed, with brief technical details being provided for several projects

  19. The effect of vortex mixing grids on the behaviour of steam phase in fuel assemblies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sergeev, V.V.; Fedotovsky, V.S.; Shcherbakov, S. I.

    2013-01-01

    The paper examines the behavior of the steam phase in two-phase flow in the space between fuel elements of a transparent model of WWER FA with “Vortex”-type mixing grids. The model was a real subchannel scaled-up in the ratio of 5 to 1 and allowed for gas feeding through the walls of displacers to simulate boiling on fuel surface. Hydraulic resistances of intensifier simulators were determined during experiments and bubble paths were photographed at different velocities of the water flow. Experimental results made it possible to verify calculation models developed at SSC RF - IPPE for fuel assemblies with “Vortex”-type mixing grids. These models let calculate the effect of steam removal from fuel surface. (authors)

  20. Steam regenerative removal of hydrogen sulfide from hot syngas by a novel tin oxide and yttrium oxide sorbent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Yi; Shi, Yixiang; Cai, Ningsheng

    2017-01-01

    A novel H 2 S sorbent based on SnO 2 and Y 2 O 3 is developed by a co-precipitation method for steam regenerative removal of H 2 S from hot syngas at moderate temperatures (400–500 °C). SnO 2 -Y 2 O 3 sorbent is stable in a reducing atmosphere (i.e. 500 °C, 50% H 2 ) and achieves a 99.9% H 2 S removal during successive desulfurization and regeneration cycles. The addition of yttrium to SnO 2 decreases the reduction property of SnO 2 and no metallic Sn exists in the reducing atmosphere due to the formation of a pyrochlore-type compound, Y 2 Sn 2 O 7 . The SnO 2 -Y 2 O 3 sorbent has a desulfurization performance deterioration with the increasing calcination temperature. The newly developed SnO 2 -Y 2 O 3 sorbent can be regenerated by steam at 500 °C. In the eight successive desulfurization and regeneration cycles, SnO 2 -Y 2 O 3 sorbent has a cyclic breakthrough sulfur capacity of 9 mg/g without significant sulfur capacity loss. - Highlights: • Reversible warm gas H 2 S clean up. • Suppressing SnO 2 reduction by formation of Sn 2 Y 2 O 7 . • Sn2Y-700 steam regeneration and cycling characterization.

  1. Condensation of steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prisyazhniuk, V.A.

    2002-01-01

    An equation for nucleation kinetics in steam condensation has been derived, the equation taking into account the concurrent and independent functioning of two nucleation mechanisms: the homogeneous one and the heterogeneous one. The equation is a most general-purpose one and includes all the previously known condensation models as special cases. It is shown how the equation can be used in analyzing the process of steam condensation in the condenser of an industrial steam-turbine plant, and in working out new ways of raising the efficiency of the condenser, as well as of the steam-turbine plant as a whole. (orig.)

  2. Erosion-corrosion of structural materials of wet steam turbines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomarov, G.V.

    1989-01-01

    A model of erosion-corrosion wear of elements of a wet steam zone and a condensate-feeding path of turbines is considered. It is shown that diffusion of impurities and corrosion products in pores of an oxide layer is the control mechanism under conditions of laminar flow of a media. Processes of mass transfer are controlling factors in turbulent flow

  3. Influence of the loop design of the feedwater- and steam quality in a power plant with pressurized water reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bennert, J.; Becher, L.

    1977-01-01

    At nuclear power plants with pressurized water reactors, condensate occurs on the high pressure part of the water-steam circuit, caused by the operation with low steam parameters. The behaviour of the electrolytes which entered into the circuit (solubility, distribution in water and/or steam) shows that these electrolytes (salts) are to be found mainly in the condensate. The insinuated electrolytes are reconcentrated during the common arrangements with 'Small Circuit' - consisting of steam generator, high pressure turbine, water separator, feedwater vessel, and have a negative influence on the feedwater - boiler water - and the steam quality. Remedy is possible by modified arrangements, during which these electrolyte-containing condensates will be treated and traced back into the main circuit. Nevertheless that the efficiency decrease is insignificant and additional efforts are necessary, a change over to these arrangements is recommendable, due to the fact that the feedwater quality, the boiler water quality, the steam quality in front of the turbine, and finally also the operational safety, as well as the availability will be improved. (orig.) [de

  4. Dissolution and oxidation behaviour of various austenitic steels and Ni rich alloys in lead-bismuth eutectic at 520 °C

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roy, Marion, E-mail: marion.roy@cea.fr [CEA, DEN, DPC, SCCME, Laboratoire d’Etude de la Corrosion Non Aqueuse, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Martinelli, Laure, E-mail: laure.martinelli@cea.fr [CEA, DEN, DPC, SCCME, Laboratoire d’Etude de la Corrosion Non Aqueuse, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Ginestar, Kevin, E-mail: kevin.ginestar@cea.fr [CEA, DEN, DPC, SCCME, Laboratoire d’Etude de la Corrosion Non Aqueuse, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Favergeon, Jérôme, E-mail: jerome.favergeon@utc.fr [Laboratoire Roberval, UMR 7337, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, Centre de Recherche de Royallieu, CS 60319, 60203 Compiègne Cedex (France); Moulin, Gérard [Laboratoire Roberval, UMR 7337, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, Centre de Recherche de Royallieu, CS 60319, 60203 Compiègne Cedex (France)

    2016-01-15

    Ten austenitic steels and Ni rich alloys were tested in static lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) at 520 °C in order to obtain a selection of austenitic steels having promising corrosion behaviour in LBE. A test of 1850 h was carried out with a dissolved oxygen concentration between 10{sup −9} and 5 10{sup −4} g kg{sup −1}. The combination of thermodynamic of the studied system and literature results leads to the determination of an expression of the dissolved oxygen content in LBE as a function of temperature: RT(K)ln[O](wt%) = −57584/T(K) −55.876T(K) + 254546 (R is the gas constant in J mol{sup −1} K{sup −1}). This relation can be considered as a threshold of oxygen content above which only oxidation is observed on the AISI 316L and AISI 304L austenitic alloys in static LBE between 400 °C and 600 °C. The oxygen content during the test leads to both dissolution and oxidation of the samples during the first 190 h and leads to pure oxidation for the rest of the test. Results of mixed oxidation and dissolution test showed that only four types of corrosion behaviour were observed: usual austenitic steels and Ni rich alloys behaviour including the reference alloy 17Cr-12Ni-2.5Mo (AISI 316LN), the 20Cr-31Ni alloy one, the Si containing alloy one and the Al containing alloy one. According to the proposed criteria of oxidation and dissolution kinetics, silicon rich alloys and aluminum rich alloy presented a promising corrosion behaviour. - Highlights: • 10 austenitic steels and Ni rich alloys were tested in LBE at 520 °C with dissolved oxygen content between 10{sup -9} and 5 10{sup -4} wt%. • It is shown that only thermodynamics cannot explain the Ni rich alloys corrosion behaviour in LBE. • The role of oxygen on corrosion behaviour in LBE was highlighted. • An equilibrium line was defined above which only oxidation has occurred on 316L: RTln[O](wt%) = -57584/T(K)-55.876T(K)+254546. • 18Cr-15Ni-3.7Si, 21Cr-11Ni-1.6Si and 14Cr-25Ni-3.5Al

  5. A performance analysis of integrated solid oxide fuel cell and heat recovery steam generator for IGFC system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rudra, Souman; Lee, Jinwook; Rosendahl, Lasse

    2010-01-01

    efficiencies can be achieved. The outputs from SOFC can be utilized by heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), which drives the steam turbine for electricity production. The SOFC stack model was developed using the process flow sheet simulator Aspen Plus, which is of the equilibrium type. Various ranges...... of syngas properties gathered from different literature were used for the simulation. The results indicate a trade-off efficiency and power with respect to a variety of SOFC inputs. The HRSG located after SOFC was included in the current simulation study with various operating parameters. This paper...... describes IGFC power plants, particularly the optimization of HRSG to improve the efficiency of the heat recovery from the SOFC exhaust gas and to maximize the power production in the steam cycle in the IGFC system. HRSG output from different pressure levels varies depending on the SOFC output. The steam...

  6. Steam conversion of liquefied petroleum gas and methane in microchannel reactor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dimov, S. V.; Gasenko, O. A.; Fokin, M. I.; Kuznetsov, V. V.

    2018-03-01

    This study presents experimental results of steam conversion of liquefied petroleum gas and methane in annular catalytic reactor - heat exchanger. The steam reforming was done on the Rh/Al2O3 nanocatalyst with the heat applied through the microchannel gap from the outer wall. Concentrations of the products of chemical reactions in the outlet gas mixture are measured at different temperatures of reactor. The range of channel wall temperatures at which the ratio of hydrogen and carbon oxide in the outlet mixture grows substantially is determined. Data on the composition of liquefied petroleum gas conversion products for the ratio S/C = 5 was received for different GHVS.

  7. Ruthenium release modelling in air and steam atmospheres under severe accident conditions using the MAAP4 code

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beuzet, Emilie; Lamy, Jean-Sylvestre; Perron, Hadrien; Simoni, Eric; Ducros, Gérard

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► We developed a new modelling of fuel oxidation and ruthenium release in the EDF version of the MAAP4 code. ► We validated this model against some VERCORS experiments. ► Ruthenium release prediction quantitatively and qualitatively well reproduced under air and steam atmospheres. - Abstract: In a nuclear power plant (NPP), a severe accident is a low probability sequence that can lead to core fusion and fission product (FP) release to the environment (source term). For instance during a loss-of-coolant accident, water vaporization and core uncovery can occur due to decay heat. These phenomena enhance core degradation and, subsequently, molten materials can relocate to the lower head of the vessel. Heat exchange between the debris and the vessel may cause its rupture and air ingress. After lower head failure, steam and air entering in the vessel can lead to degradation and oxidation of materials that are still intact in the core. Indeed, Zircaloy-4 cladding oxidation is very exothermic and fuel interaction with the cladding material can decrease its melting temperature by several hundred of Kelvin. FP release can thus be increased, noticeably that of ruthenium under oxidizing conditions. Ruthenium is of particular interest because of its high radio-toxicity due to 103 Ru and 106 Ru isotopes and its ability to form highly volatile compounds, even at room temperature, such as gaseous ruthenium tetra-oxide (RuO 4 ). It is consequently of great need to understand phenomena governing steam and air oxidation of the fuel and ruthenium release as prerequisites for the source term issues. A review of existing data on these phenomena shows relatively good understanding. In terms of oxygen affinity, the fuel is oxidized before ruthenium, from UO 2 to UO 2+x . Its oxidation is a rate-controlling surface exchange reaction with the atmosphere, so that the stoichiometric deviation and oxygen partial pressure increase. High temperatures combined with the presence

  8. Steam generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fenet, J.-C.

    1980-01-01

    Steam generator particularly intended for use in the coolant system of a pressurized water reactor for vaporizing a secondary liquid, generally water, by the primary cooling liquid of the reactor and comprising special arrangements for drying the steam before it leaves the generator [fr

  9. Steam generator with perfected dryers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fenet, J.C.

    1987-01-01

    This steam generator has vertically superposed array of steam dryers. These dryers return the steam flow of 180 0 . The return of the water is made by draining channels to the steam production zone [fr

  10. How to compute the power of a steam turbine with condensation, knowing the steam quality of saturated steam in the turbine discharge

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hernandez Albarran, Manuel Jaime; Krever, Marcos Paulo Souza [Braskem, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2009-07-01

    To compute the power and the thermodynamic performance in a steam turbine with condensation, it is necessary to know the quality of the steam in the turbine discharge and, information of process variables that permit to identifying with high precision the enthalpy of saturated steam. This paper proposes to install an operational device that will expand the steam from high pressure point on the shell turbine to atmosphere, both points with measures of pressure and temperature. Arranging these values on the Mollier chart, it can be know the steam quality value and with this data one can compute the enthalpy value of saturated steam. With the support of this small instrument and using the ASME correlations to determine the equilibrium temperature and knowing the discharge pressure in the inlet of surface condenser, the absolute enthalpy of the steam discharge can be computed with high precision and used to determine the power and thermodynamic efficiency of the turbine. (author)

  11. High temperature oxidation in the context of life assessment and microstructural degradation of weldments of 2.25Cr-1Mo steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh Raman, R.K.; Muddle, B.C.

    2002-01-01

    The prevalence of in-service failures in the welds of chromium-molybdenum ferritic steels causes great concern in steam generating/handling systems of power plants, and components of petroleum/petrochemical industries. This paper is a review of the non-uniform scaling behaviour across microstructural gradients in weldments of pressure vessel steels in order to develop a global model for life-assessment by relating oxide scale thickness with time-temperature history of in-service components. The paper also investigates gaseous corrosion-assisted deterioration of the weldment microstructure

  12. Vibration Analysis for Steam Dryer of APR1400 Steam Generator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Han, Sung-heum; Ko, Doyoung [KHNP CRI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Minki [Doosan Heavy Industry, Changwon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-10-15

    This paper is related to comprehensive vibration assessment program for APR1400 steam generator internals. According to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Regulatory Guide 1.20 (Rev.3, March 2007), we conducted vibration analysis for a steam dryer as the second steam separator of steam generator internals. The vibration analysis was performed at the 100 % power operating condition as the normal operation condition. The random hydraulic loads were calculated by the computational fluid dynamics and the structural responses were predicted by power spectral density analysis for the probabilistic method. In order to meet the recently revised U.S. NRC RG 1.20 Rev.3, the CVAP against the potential adverse flow effects in APR1400 SG internals should be performed. This study conducted the vibration response analysis for the SG steam dryer as the second moisture separator at the 100% power condition, and evaluated the structural integrity. The predicted alternating stress intensities were evaluated to have more than 17.78 times fatigue margin compared to the endurance limit.

  13. Steam Digest: Volume IV

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2004-07-01

    This edition of the Steam Digest is a compendium of 2003 articles on the technical and financial benefits of steam efficiency, presented by the stakeholders of the U.S. Department of Energy's BestPractices Steam effort.

  14. Steam Digest Volume IV

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    2004-07-01

    This edition of the Steam Digest is a compendium of 2003 articles on the technical and financial benefits of steam efficiency, presented by the stakeholders of the U.S. Department of Energy's BestPractices Steam effort.

  15. Selling steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zimmer, M.J.; Goodwin, L.M.

    1991-01-01

    This article addresses the importance of steam sales contract is in financing cogeneration facilities. The topics of the article include the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act provisions and how they affect the marketing of steam from qualifying facilities, the independent power producers market shift, and qualifying facility's benefits

  16. Wet steam wetness measurement in a 10 MW steam turbine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kolovratník Michal

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to introduce a new design of the extinction probes developed for wet steam wetness measurement in steam turbines. This new generation of small sized extinction probes was developed at CTU in Prague. A data processing technique is presented together with yielded examples of the wetness distribution along the last blade of a 10MW steam turbine. The experimental measurement was done in cooperation with Doosan Škoda Power s.r.o.

  17. Analysis of the methods utilized in OXIDE-3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Skalyo, J. Jr.; Epel, L.G.; Sastre, C.

    1978-03-01

    OXIDE-3 is an evolving code developed to analyze the transient response of certain state variables of a High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (HTGR) during an accident involving the inleakage of steam and/or air into the helium primary coolant system. Primary tasks of the code are to calculate the primary coolant constituents as a function of time, their resultant chemical interaction with the graphite fuel elements, and their possible egress into the containment building. The report takes a critical look at certain aspects of the problem solving methods implemented in OXIDE-3 and gives estimates of the expected accuracy. Attendant to the latter finding, some of the calculated output may require careful interpretation since programmatical warnings are not given when an accuracy limitation is exceeded. The code has been used at BNL in an investigation to calculate the full power steady state impurity concentrations in the primary coolant system as a function of steam leak rate, steam graphite reaction rate, and the effective diffusion constant of steam in graphite. The results are in reasonable agreement with those obtained from the steady state oxidation code GOPTWO

  18. Steamside Oxidation Behavior of Experimental 9%Cr Steels

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dogan, O.N.; Holcomb, G.R.; Alman, D.E.; Jablonski, P.D.

    2007-10-01

    Reducing emissions and increasing economic competitiveness require more efficient steam power plants that utilize fossil fuels. One of the major challenges in designing these plants is the availability of materials that can stand the supercritical and ultra-supercritical steam conditions at a competitive cost. There are several programs around the world developing new ferritic and austenitic steels for superheater and reheater tubes exposed to the advanced steam conditions. The new steels must possess properties better than current steels in terms of creep strength, steamside oxidation resistance, fireside corrosion resistance, and thermal fatigue resistance. This paper introduces a series of experimental 9%Cr steels containing Cu, Co, and Ti. Stability of the phases in the new steels is discussed and compared to the phases in the commercially available materials. The steels were tested under both the dry and moist conditions at 650ºC for their cyclical oxidation resistance. Results of oxidation tests are presented. Under the moist conditions, the experimental steels exhibited significantly less mass gain compared to the commercial P91 steel. Microstructural characterization of the scale revealed different oxide compositions.

  19. Design of Hybrid Steam-In Situ Combustion Bitumen Recovery Processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Xiaomeng; Gates, Ian D.

    2009-01-01

    Given enormous capital costs, operating expenses, flue gas emissions, water treatment and handling costs of thermal in situ bitumen recovery processes, improving the overall efficiency by lowering energy requirements, environmental impact, and costs of these production techniques is a priority. Steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) is the most widely used in situ recovery technique in Athabasca reservoirs. Steam generation is done on surface and consequently, because of heat losses, the energy efficiency of SAGD can never be ideal with respect to the energy delivered to the sandface. An alternative to surface steam generation is in situ combustion (ISC) where heat is generated within the formation through injection of oxygen at a sufficiently high pressure to initiate combustion of bitumen. In this manner, the heat from the combustion reactions can be used directly to mobilize the bitumen. As an alternative, the heat can be used to generate steam within the formation which then is the agent to move heat in the reservoir. In this research, alternative hybrid techniques with simultaneous and sequential steam-oxygen injection processes are examined to maximize the thermal efficiency of the recovery process. These hybrid processes have the advantage that during ISC, steam is generated within the reservoir from injected and formation water and as a product of oxidation. This implies that ex situ steam generation requirements are reduced and if there is in situ storage of combustion gases, that overall gas emissions are reduced. In this research, detailed reservoir simulations are done to examine the dynamics of hybrid processes to enable design of these processes. The results reveal that hybrid processes can lower emitted carbon dioxide-to-oil ratio by about 46%, decrease the consumed natural gas-to-oil ratio by about 73%, reduce the cumulative energy-to-oil ratio by between 40% and 70% compared to conventional SAGD, and drop water consumption per unit oil produced

  20. What is geothermal steam worth?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thorhallsson, S.; Ragnarsson, A.

    1992-01-01

    Geothermal steam is obtained from high-temperature boreholes, either directly from the reservoir or by flashing. The value of geothermal steam is similar to that of steam produced in boilers and lies in its ability to do work in heat engines such as turbines and to supply heat for a wide range of uses. In isolated cases the steam can be used as a source of chemicals, for example the production of carbon dioxide. Once the saturated steam has been separated from the water, it can be transported without further treatment to the end user. There are several constraints on its use set by the temperature of the reservoir and the chemical composition of the reservoir fluid. These constraints are described (temperature of steam, scaling in water phase, gas content of steam, well output) as are the methods that have been adopted to utilize this source of energy successfully. Steam can only be transported over relatively short distances (a few km) and thus has to be used close to the source. Examples are given of the pressure drop and sizing of steam mains for pipelines. The path of the steam from the reservoir to the end user is traced and typical cost figures given for each part of the system. The production cost of geothermal steam is estimated and its sensitivity to site-specific conditions discussed. Optimum energy recovery and efficiency is important as is optimizing costs. The paper will treat the steam supply system as a whole, from the reservoir to the end user, and give examples of how the site-specific conditions and system design have an influence on what geothermal steam is worth from the technical and economic points of view

  1. Steam Turbine Materials for Ultrasupercritical Coal Power Plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Viswanathan, R.; Hawk, J.; Schwant, R.; Saha, D.; Totemeier, T.; Goodstine, S.; McNally, M.; Allen, D. B.; Purgert, Robert

    2009-06-30

    The Ultrasupercritical (USC) Steam Turbine Materials Development Program is sponsored and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Ohio Coal Development Office, through grants to Energy Industries of Ohio (EIO), a non-profit organization contracted to manage and direct the project. The program is co-funded by the General Electric Company, Alstom Power, Siemens Power Generation (formerly Siemens Westinghouse), and the Electric Power Research Institute, each organization having subcontracted with EIO and contributing teams of personnel to perform the requisite research. The program is focused on identifying, evaluating, and qualifying advanced alloys for utilization in coal-fired power plants that need to withstand steam turbine operating conditions up to 760°C (1400°F) and 35 MPa (5000 psi). For these conditions, components exposed to the highest temperatures and stresses will need to be constructed from nickel-based alloys with higher elevated temperature strength than the highchromium ferritic steels currently used in today's high-temperature steam turbines. In addition to the strength requirements, these alloys must also be weldable and resistant to environmental effects such as steam oxidation and solid particle erosion. In the present project, candidate materials with the required creep strength at desired temperatures have been identified. Coatings that can resist oxidation and solid particle erosion have also been identified. The ability to perform dissimilar welds between nickel base alloys and ferritic steels have been demonstrated, and the properties of the welds have been evaluated. Results of this three-year study that was completed in 2009 are described in this final report. Additional work is being planned and will commence in 2009. The specific objectives of the future studies will include conducting more detailed evaluations of the weld-ability, mechanical properties and repair-ability of the selected candidate alloys for rotors

  2. Oxidation behaviour of Ti2AIN films composed mainly of nanolaminated MAX phase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Q M; Garkas, W; Renteria, A Flores; Leyens, C; Kim, K H

    2011-10-01

    In this paper, we reported the oxidation behaviour of Ti2AIN films on polycrystalline Al2O3 substrates. The Ti2AIN films composed mainly of nanolaminated MAX phase was obtained by first depositing Ti-Al-N films using reactive sputtering of two elemental Ti and Al targets in Ar/N2 atmosphere and subsequent vacuum annealing at 800 degrees C for 1 h. The Ti2AIN films exhibited excellent oxidation resistance and thermal stability at 600-900 degrees C in air. Very low mass gain was observed. At low temperature (600 degrees C), no oxide crystals were observed on film surface. Blade-like Theta-Al2O3 fine crystals formed on film surfaces at 700-800 degrees C. At high temperature (900 degrees C), firstly Theta-Al2O3 formed on film surface and then transformed into alpha-Al2O3. At 700-900 degrees C, a continuous Al2O3 layer formed on Ti2AIN films surface, acting as diffusion barrier preventing further oxidation attack. The mechanism of the excellent oxidation resistance of Ti2AIN films was discussed based on the experimental results.

  3. Performance Comparison of Steam-Based and Chromate Conversion Coatings on Aluminum Alloy 6060

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Din, Rameez Ud; Jellesen, Morten Stendahl; Ambat, Rajan

    2015-01-01

    In this study, oxide layers generated on aluminum alloy 6060(UNS A96060) using a steam-based process were compared with conventional chromate and chromate-phosphate conversion coatings. Chemical composition and microstructure of the conversion coatings were investigated and their corrosion perfor...

  4. An investigation of two-dimensional, two-phase flow of steam in a cascade of turbine blading by the time-marching method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teymourtash, A. R.; Mahpeykar, M. R.

    2003-01-01

    During the course of expansion in turbines, the steam at first super cools and then nucleated to become a two-phase mixture. This is an area where greater understanding can lead to improved design. This paper describes a numerical method for the solution of two-dimensional two-phase flow of steam in a cascade of turbine blading; the unsteady euler equations governing the overall behaviour of the fluid are combined with equations describing droplet behaviour and treated by Jasmine fourth order runge Kutta time marching scheme which modified to allow for two-phase effects. The theoretical surface pressure distributions, droplet radii and contours of constant wetness fraction are presented and results are discussed in the light of knowledge of actual surface pressure distributions

  5. A gas dynamic and thermochemical model of steam/sodium microleak phenomena

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perkins, R.; Airey, R.; Daniels, L.C.

    1985-06-01

    Conflicting findings have been reported by 3 UK laboratories for the blockage or rapid escalation of steam/sodium microleaks. In an earlier paper it was shown that this discrepancy could be resolved through the influence on the steam flow of the geometry of the leak paths; the geometry being dependent upon the method of manufacture. The application of gas dynamics and thermochemical methods could account for the rapid escalation of some leaks in terms of the presence of shock waves in the gas flow within the leak path. In this paper the gas dynamic and thermochemical theories are re-stated and a series of leak experiments conducted to test the validity of the theory is described. The theory predicts that for some leaks of variable area of cross-section the blockage/escalation behaviour is determined by small changes in the sodium-side pressure; this effect was found and is discussed as a validation of the theory. Other aspects of leak phenomena are discussed and conclusions are drawn with emphasis on implications for further programmes of leak study and for leaks in LMFBR steam generators in service. (author)

  6. Steam Digest 2001

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2002-01-01

    Steam Digest 2001 chronicles BestPractices Program's contributions to the industrial trade press for 2001, and presents articles that cover technical, financial and managerial aspects of steam optimization.

  7. Air Oxidation Behaviors of Zircaloy-4 Cladding During a LOCA In Spent Fuel Pool

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bang, Je Geon; Chun, Tae Hyun; Kim, Sun Ki; Koo, Yang Hyun

    2014-01-01

    It is well known that air oxidation induces a serious degradation of the Zircaloy cladding material, compared with steam oxidation. From the oxidant point of view, in comparison with steam, chemical heat release during oxidation in air is higher by 80%, which may lead to a more rapid degradation of the Zircaloy cladding, and further evolution of the accident.. Additionally, the oxidation kinetics in air is much faster than in steam due to the formation of non-protective oxide layer. From the safety point of view, the barrier effect of the cladding against release of fission products is lost much earlier in air compared to steam. The objective of this study is to investigate the oxidation behaviors of fuel cladding in two different conditions such as isothermal and transient condition and to generate its kinetic data under an accident condition in the spent fuel pool. In this study, the oxidation behaviors and its kinetics of the Zircaloy-4 were investigated in air environment for various air ingress scenarios in the temperature range 600 .deg. C-1,400 .deg. C by thermo-gravimetric analysis. In this study, the oxidation behaviors of the Zircaloy-4 for both isothermal condition and transient condition were investigated in air environment. In comparison with isothermal condition, the retardation of oxidation rate in transient condition was observed at both 1,200 .deg. C and 1,400 .deg. C. This seems to be ascribed to the effect of thin oxide formed during a heating

  8. The preliminary results of steam explosion experiments in TROI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song, J.H.; Park, I.K.; Chang, Y.J.; Min, B.T.; Hong, S.W.; Kim, H.D.

    2001-01-01

    Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) launched an intermediate scale steam explosion experiment named 'Test for Real corium Interaction with water (TROI)' using reactor material to investigate the effect of material composition, multi-dimensional melt-water interaction, and hydrogen generation. The melt-water interaction is confined in a pressure vessel with the multi-dimensional fuel and water pool geometry. The cold crucible technology, where the mixture of oxide powder in a water-cooled cage is heated by high frequency induction, is employed. It minimizes unwanted inclusion of impurities during the melting process. The data acquisition system and instrumentations which measure the static and dynamic pressure, temperatures of melt and water are set up. In the first series of tests using several kg of ZrO 2 , melt water interaction is made in a heated water pool at 95 Celsius degrees without triggering. A steam spike pressure at about 10 bar is observed. The morphology of debris shows that there was a mild local steam explosion. The melt water interaction was monitored by video cameras. The UO 2 tests are scheduled around March of 2001, in parallel with the improvements of the design of test facility. (authors)

  9. A three-dimensional laboratory steam injection model allowing in situ saturation measurements. [Comparing steam injection and steam foam injection with nitrogen and without nitrogen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Demiral, B.M.R.; Pettit, P.A.; Castanier, L.M.; Brigham, W.E.

    1992-08-01

    The CT imaging technique together with temperature and pressure measurements were used to follow the steam propagation during steam and steam foam injection experiments in a three dimensional laboratory steam injection model. The advantages and disadvantages of different geometries were examined to find out which could best represent radial and gravity override flows and also fit the dimensions of the scanning field of the CT scanner. During experiments, steam was injected continuously at a constant rate into the water saturated model and CT scans were taken at six different cross sections of the model. Pressure and temperature data were collected with time at three different levels in the model. During steam injection experiments, the saturations obtained by CT matched well with the temperature data. That is, the steam override as observed by temperature data was also clearly seen on the CT pictures. During the runs where foam was present, the saturation distributions obtained from CT pictures showed a piston like displacement. However, the temperature distributions were different depending on the type of steam foam process used. The results clearly show that the pressure/temperature data alone are not sufficient to study steam foam in the presence of non-condensible gas.

  10. MEDEA, Steady-State Pressure and Temperature Distribution in He H2O Steam Generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hansen, Ulf

    1976-01-01

    1 - Nature of physical problem solved: MEDEA calculates the time-independent pressure and temperature distribution in a helium-water steam generator. The changing material properties of the fluids with pressure and temperature are treated exactly. The steam generator may consist of economizer, evaporator, superheater and reheater in variable flow patterns. In case of reheating the high-pressure turbine is taken into account. The main control circuits influencing the behaviour of the system are simulated. These are water spraying of the hot steam, load-dependent control of steam pressure at the HP-turbine inlet and valves before the LP-turbine to ensure constant pressure in the reheater section. Investigations of hydrodynamic flow stability in single tubes can be performed. 2 - Method of solution: The steam generator is calculated as a 1-dimensional model, (i.e. all parallel tubes working under equal conditions) and is divided into small heat exchanger elements with helium and water in ideal parallel or counter flow. The material and thermodynamic properties are kept constant within one element. The calculations start at the cold end of the steam generator and proceed stepwise along the water flow pattern to produce pressure and temperature distributions of helium and water. The gas outlet temperature is changed until convergence is reached with a continuous temperature profile on the gas side. MEDEA chooses the iteration scheme according to flow pattern and other special arrangements in the steam generator. The hydrodynamic stability is calculated for a single tube assuming that all tubes are exposed to the same gas temperature profile and changing the water flow in a single tube will not influence the conditions on the gas side. Varying the water flow by keeping gas temperature constant and repeating the steam generator calculations yield pressure drop and steam temperature as a function of flow rate. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: Maximum

  11. Metallurgical and mechanical behaviours of PWR fuel cladding tube oxidised at high temperature; Comportements metallurqigue et mecanique des materiaux de gainage du combustible REP oxydes a haute temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stern, A

    2007-12-15

    Zirconium alloys are used as cladding materials in Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR). As they are submitted to very extreme conditions, it is necessary to check their behaviour and especially to make sure they meet the safety criteria. They are therefore studied under typical in service-loadings but also under accidental loadings. In one of these accidental scenarios, called Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) the cladding temperature may increase above 800 C, in a steam environment, and decrease before a final quench of the cladding. During this temperature transient, the cladding is heavily oxidised, and the metallurgical changes lead to a decrease of the post quench mechanical properties. It is then necessary to correlate this drop in residual ductility to the metallurgical evolutions. This is the problem we want to address in this study: the oxidation of PWR cladding materials at high temperature in a steam environment and its consequences on post quench mechanical properties. As oxygen goes massively into the metallic part - a zirconia layer grows at the same time - during the high temperature oxidation, the claddings tubes microstructure shows three different phases that are the outer oxide layer (zirconia) and the inner metallic phases ({alpha}(O) and 'ex {beta}') - with various mechanical properties. In order to reproduce the behaviour of this multilayered material, the first part of this study consisted in creating samples with different - but homogeneous in thickness - oxygen contents, similar to those observed in the different phases of the real cladding. The study was especially focused on the {beta}-->{alpha} phase transformation upon cooling and on the resulting microstructures. A mechanism was proposed to describe this phase transformation. For instance, we conclude that for our oxygen enriched samples, the phase transformation kinetics upon cooling are ruled by the oxygen partitioning between the two allotropic phases. Then, these materials

  12. Effect of a high heat flux on the corrosion of 2 1/4 Cr-1 Mo steel in superheated steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Griess, J.C.; DeVan, J.H.; Maxwell, W.A.

    1977-01-01

    A series of corrosion tests was conducted to determine the effect of heat flux on the corrosion of 2 1 / 4 Cr-1 Mo steel in superheated steam. The tests were conducted with a constant heat flux of (126 kW/m 2 ) 40,000 Btu hr -1 ft -2 and surface temperatures varying from 950 to 1000 0 F (510 to 541 0 C) on each specimen. Specimens were exposed for varying lengths of time, ranging from 500 to 6000 hr. Essentially all the corrosion product oxide remained on the steel during the first 2000 hr, but after that time, exfoliation of the oxide began. The percentage of corrosion product oxide lost from the specimen increased with exposure time; about 33 percent was missing after 6000 hr. After an initial period of rapid corrosion, the average corrosion rate was constant at 1.8 mils/year (45 μm/year). In contrast, isothermal specimens exposed to superheated steam at 930 0 F (499 0 C) in the same test facility corroded at a decreasing rate throughout the test. Metallographic sections showed that, with heat transfer across the specimen-steam interface, both cracks and porosity developed in the oxide, even on short exposure, a face that was undoubtedly responsible for the early exfoliation of the oxide and the constant corrosion rate

  13. Rapid Generation of Superheated Steam Using a Water-containing Porous Material

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mori, Shoji; Okuyama, Kunito

    Heat treatment by superheated steam has been utilized in several industrial fields including sterilization, desiccation, and cooking. In particular, cooking by superheated steam is receiving increased attention because it has advantages of reducing the salt and fat contents in foods as well as suppressing the oxidation of vitamin C and fat. In this application, quick startup and cut-off responses are required. Most electrically energized steam generators require a relatively long time to generate superheated steam due to the large heat capacities of the water in container and of the heater. Zhao and Liao (2002) introduced a novel process for rapid vaporization of subcooled liquid, in which a low-thermal-conductivity porous wick containing water is heated by a downward-facing grooved heating block in contact with the upper surface of the wick structure. They showed that saturated steam is generated within approximately 30 seconds from room-temperature water at a heat flux 41.2 kW⁄m2. In order to quickly generate superheated steam of approximately 300°C, which is required for cooking, the heat capacity of the heater should be as small as possible and the imposed heat flux should be so high enough that the porous wick is able to dry out in the vicinity of the contact with the heater and that the resulting heater temperature becomes much higher than the saturation temperature. The present paper proposes a simple structured generator to quickly produce superheated steam. Only a fine wire heater is contacted spirally on the inside wall in a hollow porous material. The start-up, cut-off responses and the rate of energy conversion for input power are investigated experimentally. Superheated steam of 300°C is produced in approximately 19 seconds from room-temperature water for an input power of 300 W. The maximum rate of energy conversion in the steady state is approximately 0.9.

  14. Behaviour of zirconium oxidation and is oxide films in alkali halide solutions as studied by electrochemical techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saleh, H.E.M.

    1996-01-01

    Study of the properties of Zr electrode and the oxide films that cover the metal surface is of extreme importance due to their wide applications in chemical and nuclear industry. In this thesis the electrochemical behaviour of Zr electrode in alkali halide solutions and with various surface conditions was studied, Also the galvanostatic oxidation of the metal in addition to the open circuit and impedance measurements were employed. Chapter I is a literature survey of the electrochemistry of Zr metal with particular emphasis on the stability and growth process of Zr in different media. Chapter II contains the experimental part, including details of the electrochemical techniques used in the measurements. The electrode impedance was always balanced as a series capacitance Cs and resistance Rs.Chapter III includes the experimental results and discussion. It is divide into sections, A and B. Section A includes the results of some experimental parameters which affect the reactivity of the oxide growth process on the zirconium surface, such as surface pre - treatment, electrolyte composition, the effect of different alkali halide anions, as well as the triiodide ion. 9 tabs.,26 figs.,67 refs

  15. Disposal and handling of nuclear steam generator chemical cleaning wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larrick, A.P.; Schneidmiller, D.

    1978-01-01

    A large number of pressurized water nuclear reactor electrical generating plants have experienced a corrosion-related problem with their steam generators known as denting. Denting is a mechanical deformation of the steam generator tubes that occurs at the tube support plates. Corrosion of the tube support plates occurs within the annuli through which the tubes pass and the resulting corrosion oxides, which are larger in volume than the original metal, compress and deform the tubes. In some cases, the induced stresses have been severe enough to cause tube and/or support cracking. The problem was so severe at the Turkey Point and Surrey plants that the tubing is being replaced. For less severe cases, chemical cleaning of the oxides, and other materials which deposit in the annuli from the water, is being considered. A Department of Energy-sponsored program was conducted by Consolidated Edison Co. of New York which identified several suitable cleaning solvents and led to in-plant chemical cleaning pilot demonstrations in the Indian Point Unit 1 steam generators. Current programs to improve the technology are being conducted by the Electric Power Research Institute, and the three PWR NSSS vendors with the assistance of numerous consultants, vendors, and laboratories. These programs are expected to result in more effective, less corrosive solvents. However, after a chemical cleaning is conducted, a large problem still remains- that of disposing of the spent wastes. The paper summarizes some of the methods currently available for handling and disposal of the wastes

  16. Sodium and steam leak simulation studies for fluidized bed steam generators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keeton, A.R.; Vaux, W.G.; Lee, P.K.; Witkowski, R.E.

    1976-01-01

    An experimental program is described which was conducted to study the effects of sodium or steam leaking into an operating fluidized bed of metal or ceramic particles at 680 to 800 0 K. This effort was part of the early development studies for a fluidized-bed steam generator concept using helium as the fluidizing gas. Test results indicated that steam and small sodium leaks had no effect on the quality of fluidization, heat transfer coefficient, temperature distribution, or fluidizing gas pressure drop across the bed. Large sodium leaks, however, immediately upset the operation of the fluidized bed. Both steam and sodium leaks were detected positively and rapidly at an early stage of a leak by instruments specifically selected to accomplish this

  17. Some results of the 50 MW straight tube steam generator test in the TNO 50 MW SCTF at Hengelo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ludwig, P.W.P.H.; Hus, B.M.

    1975-01-01

    A prototype 50 MW straight tube steam generator has been tested during more than 3000 hours under operating conditions. The steady state, transient and stability behaviour were tested. The most remarkable results of the experiments are given. (author)

  18. Some results of the 50 MW straight tube steam generator test in the TNO 50 MW SCTF at Hengelo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ludwig, P W.P.H.; Hus, B M

    1975-07-01

    A prototype 50 MW straight tube steam generator has been tested during more than 3000 hours under operating conditions. The steady state, transient and stability behaviour were tested. The most remarkable results of the experiments are given. (author)

  19. DEMONSTRATION BULLETIN STEAM ENHANCED REMEDIATION STEAM TECH ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, INC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steam Enhanced Remediation is a process in which steam is injected into the subsurface to recover volatile and semivolatile organic contaminants. It has been applied successfully to recover contaminants from soil and aquifers and at a fractured granite site. This SITE demonstra...

  20. Notch Sensitivity of Fatigue Behavior of a Hi-Nicalon/SiC Ceramic Composite with an Oxidation Inhibited Matrix at 1200 degree C in Air and in Steam

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-03-24

    Stress Ratio and Frequency. AGARD - CP -569, NATO, AGARD , SMP, 7 Rue Ancelle, 92200 Neuilly sur Seine, France, March 1996. 5. Chawla, K.K. Ceramic Matrix...fatigue at 1.0 Hz in air at 1200°C. σmax = 120 MPa, Nf = 77,575, tf = 21.5 h ........................................................ 73 Figure 55: SEM...areas of oxidation. ............ 73 Figure 56: SEM micrographs of the fiber fracture surfaces of specimen 13 tested in fatigue at 1.0 Hz in steam at

  1. Steam generator life management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tapping, R.L.; Nickerson, J.; Spekkens, P.; Maruska, C.

    1998-01-01

    Steam generators are a critical component of a nuclear power reactor, and can contribute significantly to station unavailability, as has been amply demonstrated in Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs). CANDU steam generators are not immune to steam generator degradation, and the variety of CANDU steam generator designs and tube materials has led to some unexpected challenges. However, aggressive remedial actions, and careful proactive maintenance activities, have led to a decrease in steam generator-related station unavailability of Canadian CANDUs. AECL and the CANDU utilities have defined programs that will enable existing or new steam generators to operate effectively for 40 years. Research and development work covers corrosion and mechanical degradation of tube bundles and internals, chemistry, thermal hydraulics, fouling, inspection and cleaning, as well as provision for specially tool development for specific problem solving. A major driving force is development of CANDU-specific fitness-for-service guidelines, including appropriate inspection and monitoring technology to measure steam generator condition. Longer-range work focuses on development of intelligent on-line monitoring for the feedwater system and steam generator. New designs have reduced risk of corrosion and fouling, are more easily inspected and cleaned, and are less susceptible to mechanical damage. The Canadian CANDU utilities have developed programs for remedial actions to combat degradation of performance (Gentilly-2, Point Lepreau, Bruce A/B, Pickering A/B), and have developed strategic plans to ensure that good future operation is ensured. This report shows how recent advances in cleaning technology are integrated into a life management strategy, discusses downcomer flow measurement as a means of monitoring steam generator condition, and describes recent advances in hideout return as a life management tool. The research and development program, as well as operating experience, has identified

  2. Characterization of the oxide grown on Zr-20 Nb with different heat treatments in water at high temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olmedo, Ana M.; Bordoni, Roberto; Koenig, Patricia

    2003-01-01

    This work presents the corrosion behaviour of Zr-20 Nb alloy with different heat treatments. All the samples were annealed at 850 C degrees for one hour and cooled in air. After this heat treatment the sample coupons were aged at different temperatures and times. The corrosion kinetic of the different coupon samples were determined in water at 315 C degrees. The microstructure of the oxides were analysed using X-ray diffraction. The oxides grown in water steam at 400 C degrees, in coupons with a β Zr microstructure and in coupons aged in order to obtain a α Zr· + β Nb microstructure were also analysed. The oxides grown at the different temperatures and for all the microstructures were very adherent and black for all the times studied. The corrosion kinetics showed that the aging treatments decrease the corrosion rate of this material in degassed water at 315 C degrees and also in water steam at 400 C degrees. The greatest corrosion resistance is achieved for the equilibrium or near equilibrium microstructure of the samples and the presence of the · phase does not decrease the corrosion resistance of the material. The microstructure analysis of the oxides indicated that oxides grown on samples with β Zr microstructure are composed mainly by a Zr-Nb oxide of the type Nb 2 O 5· 6ZrO 2 , together with a small fraction of monoclinic ZrO 2 . Aging treatments produce an increase of the monoclinic phase and diminish the proportion of the mixed oxide. When the aging treatment gives the equilibrium or near equilibrium microstructure of α Zr· + β Nb , the oxide is composed mainly of monoclinic ZrO 2 , a small proportion of tetragonal component and also Nb 2 O 5 . (author)

  3. Corrosion and hydriding behaviour of some Zr 2.5 wt% Nb alloys in water, steam and various gases at high temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dalgaard, S. B.

    1962-05-15

    Fuel sheaths and pressure tubes in Canadian power reactors are at present made from Zircaloy-2. Mechanical properties of a suitably heat treated Zr 2.5 wt% Nb alloy are superior to those of Zircaloy-2, but any new alloy must have resistance to corrosion and hydriding by the coolant and by the gas that insulates the pressure tube from the cold moderator. Exposed to water at temperatures up to 325{sup o}C, the Zr 2.5 wt% Nb alloy has corrosion resistance acceptable for power reactors. Resistance to air and carbon dioxide is less favourable. Addition of tin, or iron and chromium, to the base alloy have little effect on the corrosion resistance, but the addition of copper reduces corrosion in water and steam to some extent and in air and carbon dioxide to a greater extent. Studies of the effect of heat treatment suggest that the amount of niobium in a solid-solution controls the rate of oxidation and hydriding and that concentration, size and distribution of second phase is of little importance. Initial results obtained in NRX indicate that a thermal flux of 3-7 x 10{sup 13} n/cm{sup 2}/sec has little or no effect on oxidation and hydriding in high temperature water. (author)

  4. Modeling of electrochemistry and steam-methane reforming performance for simulating pressurized solid oxide fuel cell stacks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Recknagle, Kurtis P.; Ryan, Emily M.; Koeppel, Brian J.; Mahoney, Lenna A.; Khaleel, Moe A. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352 (United States)

    2010-10-01

    This paper examines the electrochemical and direct internal steam-methane reforming performance of the solid oxide fuel cell when subjected to pressurization. Pressurized operation boosts the Nernst potential and decreases the activation polarization, both of which serve to increase cell voltage and power while lowering the heat load and operating temperature. A model considering the activation polarization in both the fuel and the air electrodes was adopted to address this effect on the electrochemical performance. The pressurized methane conversion kinetics and the increase in equilibrium methane concentration are considered in a new rate expression. The models were then applied in simulations to predict how the distributions of direct internal reforming rate, temperature, and current density are effected within stacks operating at elevated pressure. A generic 10 cm counter-flow stack model was created and used for the simulations of pressurized operation. The predictions showed improved thermal and electrical performance with increased operating pressure. The average and maximum cell temperatures decreased by 3% (20 C) while the cell voltage increased by 9% as the operating pressure was increased from 1 to 10 atm. (author)

  5. Steam generator tube failures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MacDonald, P.E.; Shah, V.N.; Ward, L.W.; Ellison, P.G.

    1996-04-01

    A review and summary of the available information on steam generator tubing failures and the impact of these failures on plant safety is presented. The following topics are covered: pressurized water reactor (PWR), Canadian deuterium uranium (CANDU) reactor, and Russian water moderated, water cooled energy reactor (VVER) steam generator degradation, PWR steam generator tube ruptures, the thermal-hydraulic response of a PWR plant with a faulted steam generator, the risk significance of steam generator tube rupture accidents, tubing inspection requirements and fitness-for-service criteria in various countries, and defect detection reliability and sizing accuracy. A significant number of steam generator tubes are defective and are removed from service or repaired each year. This wide spread damage has been caused by many diverse degradation mechanisms, some of which are difficult to detect and predict. In addition, spontaneous tube ruptures have occurred at the rate of about one every 2 years over the last 20 years, and incipient tube ruptures (tube failures usually identified with leak detection monitors just before rupture) have been occurring at the rate of about one per year. These ruptures have caused complex plant transients which have not always been easy for the reactor operators to control. Our analysis shows that if more than 15 tubes rupture during a main steam line break, the system response could lead to core melting. Although spontaneous and induced steam generator tube ruptures are small contributors to the total core damage frequency calculated in probabilistic risk assessments, they are risk significant because the radionuclides are likely to bypass the reactor containment building. The frequency of steam generator tube ruptures can be significantly reduced through appropriate and timely inspections and repairs or removal from service

  6. Simulation of steam explosion in stratified melt-coolant configuration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leskovar, Matjaž; Centrih, Vasilij; Uršič, Mitja

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Strong steam explosions may develop spontaneously in stratified configurations. • Considerable melt-coolant premixed layer formed in subcooled water with hot melts. • Analysis with MC3D code provided insight into stratified steam explosion phenomenon. • Up to 25% of poured melt was mixed with water and available for steam explosion. • Better instrumented experiments needed to determine dominant mixing process. - Abstract: A steam explosion is an energetic fuel coolant interaction process, which may occur during a severe reactor accident when the molten core comes into contact with the coolant water. In nuclear reactor safety analyses steam explosions are primarily considered in melt jet-coolant pool configurations where sufficiently deep coolant pool conditions provide complete jet breakup and efficient premixture formation. Stratified melt-coolant configurations, i.e. a molten melt layer below a coolant layer, were up to now believed as being unable to generate strong explosive interactions. Based on the hypothesis that there are no interfacial instabilities in a stratified configuration it was assumed that the amount of melt in the premixture is insufficient to produce strong explosions. However, the recently performed experiments in the PULiMS and SES (KTH, Sweden) facilities with oxidic corium simulants revealed that strong steam explosions may develop spontaneously also in stratified melt-coolant configurations, where with high temperature melts and subcooled water conditions a considerable melt-coolant premixed layer is formed. In the article, the performed study of steam explosions in a stratified melt-coolant configuration in PULiMS like conditions is presented. The goal of this analytical work is to supplement the experimental activities within the PULiMS research program by addressing the key questions, especially regarding the explosivity of the formed premixed layer and the mechanisms responsible for the melt-water mixing. To

  7. The hydrogen generated as a gas and storage in Zircaloy during steam quenching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garcia, Eduardo A.

    2000-01-01

    A simple one-dimensional diffusion model has been developed for the complex process of Zircaloy oxidation during steam quenching, calculating the hydrogen liberated as a gas and the hydrogen stored in the metal. The model was developed on the basis of small-scale separate-effects quench experiments performed at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe. The new oxide surface and the new metallic surface produced by cracking of the oxide during quenching are calculated for each experiment performed at 1200 centigrade, 1400 centigrade and 1600 centigrade using as-received Zircaloy-4 (no pre-oxidation) and with Zircaloy specimens pre-oxidized to give oxide thickness of 100μm and 300μm. The results are relevant to accident management in nuclear power plants. (author)

  8. Investigation of methane steam reforming in planar porous support of solid oxide fuel cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Yongping; Du Xiaoze; Yang Lijun; Huang Yuan; Xian Haizhen

    2009-01-01

    Adopting the porous support in integrated-planar solid oxide fuel cell (IP-SOFC) can reduce the operating temperature by reducing thickness of electrolyte layer, and also, provide internal reforming environment for hydrogen-rich fuel gas. The distributions of reactant and product components, and temperature of methane steam reforming for IP-SOFC were investigated by the developed physical and mathematical model with thermodynamic analysis, in which eleven possible reaction mechanisms were considered by the source terms and Arrhenius relationship. Numerical simulation of the model revealed that the progress of reforming reaction and the distribution of the product, H 2 , were influenced by the operating conditions, included that of temperature, ratio of H 2 O and CH 4 , as well as by the porosity of the supporting material. The simulating results indicate that the methane conversion rate can reach its maximum value under the operating temperature of 800 deg. C and porosity of ε = 0.4, which rather approximate to the practical operating conditions of IP-SOFC. In addition, characteristics of carbon deposition on surface of catalyst were discussed under various operating conditions and configuration parameters of the porous support. The present works provided some theoretical explanations to the numerous experimental observations and engineered practices

  9. Oxidation behaviour of plutonium rich (U, Pu)C and (U, Pu)O{sub 2}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sali, S.K., E-mail: sksali@barc.gov.in [Fuel Chemistry Division (India); Kulkarni, N.K.; Phatak, Rohan [Fuel Chemistry Division (India); Agarwal, Renu [Product Development Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400085 (India)

    2016-10-15

    Oxidation behaviour of (U{sub 0.3}Pu{sub 0.7})C{sub 1.06} was investigated in air by heating samples up to 1073 K and 1273 K. Thermogravimetry (TG) of the samples and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) of the intermediate products were used to understand the phenomenon taking place during this process. Theoretical calculations were carried out to understand the multiple phase changes taking place during oxidation of carbide. Theoretical results were validated by XRD analysis of the products obtained at different stages of oxidation. The final oxidized products were found to be a single FCC phase with O/M = 2.15 (M = U + Pu). Oxidation kinetic studies of (U{sub 0.3}Pu{sub 0.7})O{sub 2} and (U{sub 0.47}Pu{sub 0.53})O{sub 2} were carried out in dry air, using thermogravimetry, under non-isothermal conditions. The activation energy of oxidation was found to be 49 and 70 kJ/mol, respectively. Lattice parameter dependence on Pu/M and O/M of plutonium rich mixed oxide (MOX) was established using combined results of XRD and TG analysis of (U{sub 0.3}Pu{sub 0.7})O{sub 2+x} and (U{sub 0.47}Pu{sub 0.53})O{sub 2+x}.

  10. Process for manufacture of a catalyst suitable for the steam reforming of hydrocarbons and for obtaining methane

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Golebiowski, A.; Romotowski, T.; Hennel, W.; Wroblewska-Wroblewska, T.; Polanski, A.; Janecki, Z.; Paluch-Paluch, S.

    1982-07-29

    The invention concerns a process for the manufacture of a catalyst suitable for the steam reforming of hydrocarbons or for obtaining methane, by the deposition of the catalytic components on a metal carrier with a large surface area, particularly a process for the manufacture of a solid nickel catalyst, which is suitable for the steam reforming of hydrocarbons, particularly of methane. The following steps of the process are carried out: producing a highly porous layer of spongy metal from Ni powder on the side of a metal wall away from a heat medium, which separates the reaction mixture from the heat medium, then separate application of a non-reducing oxide (Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/) and a reducing oxide (nickel oxide) on the spongy metal by soaking with metal salt solution and then roasting in the temperature range of 400 to 1200/sup 0/C.

  11. Steam generators, turbines, and condensers. Volume six

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1986-01-01

    Volume six covers steam generators (How steam is generated, steam generation in a PWR, vertical U-tube steam generators, once-through steam generators, how much steam do steam generators make?), turbines (basic turbine principles, impulse turbines, reaction turbines, turbine stages, turbine arrangements, turbine steam flow, steam admission to turbines, turbine seals and supports, turbine oil system, generators), and condensers (need for condensers, basic condenser principles, condenser arrangements, heat transfer in condensers, air removal from condensers, circulating water system, heat loss to the circulating water system, factors affecting condenser performance, condenser auxiliaries)

  12. Horizontal steam generator thermal-hydraulics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ubra, O. [SKODA Praha Company, Prague (Czechoslovakia); Doubek, M. [Czech Technical Univ., Prague (Czechoslovakia)

    1995-09-01

    Horizontal steam generators are typical components of nuclear power plants with pressure water reactor type VVER. Thermal-hydraulic behavior of horizontal steam generators is very different from the vertical U-tube steam generator, which has been extensively studied for several years. To contribute to the understanding of the horizontal steam generator thermal-hydraulics a computer program for 3-D steady state analysis of the PGV-1000 steam generator has been developed. By means of this computer program, a detailed thermal-hydraulic and thermodynamic study of the horizontal steam generator PGV-1000 has been carried out and a set of important steam generator characteristics has been obtained. The 3-D distribution of the void fraction and 3-D level profile as functions of load and secondary side pressure have been investigated and secondary side volumes and masses as functions of load and pressure have been evaluated. Some of the interesting results of calculations are presented in the paper.

  13. Enhancement of enzymatic saccharification of Eucalyptus globulus: steam explosion versus steam treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin-Sampedro, Raquel; Revilla, Esteban; Villar, Juan C; Eugenio, Maria E

    2014-09-01

    Steam explosion and steam pre-treatment have proved capable of enhancing enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulosic materials. However, until now, these methods had not been compared under the same operational conditions and using the same raw material. Both pre-treatments lead to increased yields in the saccharification of Eucalyptus globulus; but results have been better with steam pre-treatments, despite the more accessible surface of exploded samples. The reason for this finding could be enzymatic inhibition: steam explosion causes a more extensive extraction of hemicelluloses and releases a greater amount of degradation products which can inhibit enzymatic action. Enzymatic inhibition is also dependent on the amount and chemical structure of lignin, which was also a contributing factor to the lower enzymatic yields obtained with the most severe pre-treatment. Thus, the highest yields (46.7% glucose and 73.4% xylose yields) were obtained after two cycle of steam treatment, of 5 and 3 min, at 183°C. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Study of the response of Zircaloy cladding to thermal shock during water quenching after double sided steam oxidation at elevated temperatures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Banerjee, Suparna; Sawarn, Tapan K.; Kumar, Sunil

    2015-01-01

    This study investigates the failure of embrittled Zircaloy-4 cladding used in the present generation of Indian pressurized heavy water reactors (IPHWRs) in a simulated LOCA condition and its correlation with the evolved stratified microstructure. Isothermal steam oxidation of Zircaloy-4 cladding at high temperatures (900-1200°C) with soaking periods in the range 60-900 seconds followed by water quenching was carried out. None of the pieces broke during quenching except for those heated at 1100, 1150 and 1200°C for longer durations. The combined oxide + oxygen stabilized α-Zr(O) layer thickness and the fraction of the load bearing phase of clad tube specimens were correlated with the %ECR values calculated using Baker-Just equation. Average oxygen concentration of the load bearing prior β-Zr phase corresponding to different oxidation conditions was calculated from the average microhardness values in Vickers scale using an empirical correlation developed by Leistikow. The results of these experiments are presented in this paper. Thermal shock sustainability of the clad was correlated with the %ECR, combined oxide+α-Zr(O) layer thickness, fraction of the prior β-Zr phase and its average oxygen concentration. The thermal shock boundary was observed to be 29% ECR, 0.29 mm combined thickness of ZrO_2+α-Zr(O), 0.16 mm of β-Zr thickness with an average β phase oxygen content of 0.69 wt%. (author)

  15. Steam and sodium leak simulation in a fluidized-bed steam generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vaux, W.G.; Keeton, A.R.; Keairns, D.L.

    1977-01-01

    A fluidized-bed steam generator for the liquid metal fast breeder reactor enhances plant availability and minimizes the probability of a water/sodium reaction. An experimental test program was conceived to assess design criteria and fluidized-bed operation under conditions of water, steam, and sodium leaks. Sodium, steam, and water were leaked into helium-fluidized beds of metal and ceramic particles at 900 F. Test results show the effects of leaks on the heat transfer coefficient, quality of fluidization, leak detection, and cleanup procedures

  16. Design of SMART steam generator cassette

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Y. W.; Kim, J. I.; Jang, M. H.

    2001-01-01

    Basic design development for the steam generator to be installed in the integral reactor SMART has been performed. Optimization of the steam generator shape, determination of the basic dimension and confirmation of the structural strength have been carried out. Individual steam generator cassette can be replaced in the optimized design concept of steam generator. Shape design of the steam generator cassette has been done on the computer based on 3-D CAE strategy. The structural integrity of the developed steam generator was investigated by performing the dynamic analysis for the steam generator cassette, flow induced vibration analysis for the tube bundle, and the thermo-mechanical analysis for the module header and tube. As for the manufacturing of steam generator, the numerical and the experimental simulation have been carried to control the amount of spring back and to eliminate residual stress. SMART steam generator cassette was developed by a sequential research of the aforementioned activities

  17. Steam generators - problems and prognosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tapping, R.L.

    1997-05-01

    Steam-generator problems, largely a consequence of corrosion and fouling, have resulted in increased inspection requirements and more regulatory attention to steam-generator integrity. In addition, utilities have had to develop steam-generator life-management strategies, including cleaning and replacement, to achieve design life. This paper summarizes the pertinent data to 1993/1994, and presents an overview of current steam-generator management practices. (author)

  18. PWR steam-side chemistry follow program. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Economy, G.; Wootten, M.J.

    1982-08-01

    Denting is the diametral reduction of Inconel 600 tubes at the support plates of several nuclear steam generators during operation. This tube deformation was shown to be caused by the expansion forces resulting from formation of voluminous oxide generated by corrosion of the carbon steel support plate. The denting phenomenon and potential methods for its inhibition were investigated in the laboratory using isothermal capsules and heated crevice (heat transfer) testing at temperatures relevant to operating steam generators. Both test methods simulate the tube-support plate geometry and materials. Mathematical models were developed to predict the denting behavior of isothermal capsules. Three additives were investigated as potential denting inhibitors. Soaking with calcium hydroxide or sodium phosphate under heat transfer conditions did not inhibit denting when the environment was recontaminated, in contrast to similar soaks in boric acid which inhibited denting for two to four weeks following recontamination. When the boric acid soak was followed by on-line boric acid treatment, inhibition was maintained

  19. Loss of feed flow, steam generator tube rupture and steam line break thermohydraulic experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mendler, O.J.; Takeuchi, K.; Young, M.Y.

    1986-10-01

    The Westinghouse Model Boiler No. 2 (MB-2) steam generator test model at the Engineering Test Facility in Tampa, Florida, was reinstrumented and modified for performing a series of tests simulating steam generator accident transients. The transients simulated were: loss of feed flow, steam generator tube rupture, and steam line break events. This document presents a description of (1) the model boiler and the associated test facility, (2) the tests performed, and (3) the analyses of the test results

  20. Loss of feed flow, steam generator tube rupture and steam line break thermohydraulic experiments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mendler, O J; Takeuchi, K; Young, M Y

    1986-10-01

    The Westinghouse Model Boiler No. 2 (MB-2) steam generator test model at the Engineering Test Facility in Tampa, Florida, was reinstrumented and modified for performing a series of tests simulating steam generator accident transients. The transients simulated were: loss of feed flow, steam generator tube rupture, and steam line break events. This document presents a description of (1) the model boiler and the associated test facility, (2) the tests performed, and (3) the analyses of the test results.

  1. Simulation of a two phase boiling flow in Poseidon geometry with Astrid steam-water software

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larrauri, D.

    1997-01-01

    After different validation test runs in tube an annular geometries, the simulation of a subcooled boiling flow in a rod bundle geometry has been achieved with ASTRID Steam-Water software. The experiment we have simulated is the Poseidon experiment. It is a three heating tube geometry. The thermohydraulic conditions of the simulated flow are closed to the DNB conditions. The simulation results are analysed and compared against the available measurements of liquid and wall temperatures. ASTRID Steam-Water behaviour in such a geometry brings satisfaction. The wall and the liquid temperatures are well predicted in the different parts of the flow. The void fraction reaches 40 % in the vicinity of the heating rods. Besides, the evolution of the different calculated variables shows that a three-dimensional simulation gives capital information for the analyse of the physical phenomena involved in this kind of flow. The good results obtained in Poseidon geometry lead us to think about simulating and analyzing rod bundle flows with ASTRID Steam-Water code. (author)

  2. Steam generators: critical components in nuclear steam supply systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stevens-Guille, P D

    1974-02-28

    Steam generators are critical components in power reactors. Even small internal leaks result in costly shutdowns for repair. Surveys show that leaks have affected one half of all water-cooled reactors in the world with steam generators. CANDU reactors have demonstrated the highest reliability. However, AECL is actively evolving new technology in design, manufacture, inspection and operation to maintain reliability. (auth)

  3. Steam power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Campbell, J.W.E.

    1981-01-01

    This invention relates to power plant forced flow boilers operating with water letdown. The letdown water is arranged to deliver heat to partly expanded steam passing through a steam reheater connected between two stages of the prime mover. (U.K.)

  4. Modelling of steam condensation in the primary flow channel of a gas-heated steam generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawamura, H.; Meister, G.

    1982-10-01

    A new simulation code has been developed for the analysis of steam ingress accidents in high temperatures reactors which evaluates the heat transfer in a steam generator headed by a mixture of helium and water steam. Special emphasis is laid on the analysis of steam condensation in the primary circuit of the steam generator. The code takes wall and bulk condensation into account. A new method is proposed to describe the entrainment of water droplets in the primary gas flow. Some typical results are given. Steam condensation in the primary channel may have a significant effect on temperature distributions. The effect on the heat transferred by the steam generator, however, is found to be not so prominent as might be expected. The reason is discussed. A simplified code will also be described, which gives results with reasonable accuracy within much shorter execution times. This code may be used as a program module in a program simulating the total primary circuit of a high temperature reactor. (orig.) [de

  5. Steam turbines for the future

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trassl, W.

    1988-01-01

    Approximately 75% of the electrical energy produced in the world is generated in power plants with steam turbines (fossil and nuclear). Although gas turbines are increasingly applied in combined cycle power plants, not much will change in this matter in the future. As far as the steam parameters and the maximum unit output are concerned, a certain consolidation was noted during the past decades. The standard of development and mathematical penetration of the various steam turbine components is very high today and is applied in the entire field: For saturated steam turbines in nuclear power plants and for steam turbines without reheat, with reheat and with double reheat in fossil-fired power plants and for steam turbines with and without reheat in combined cycle power plants. (orig.) [de

  6. The Invisibility of Steam

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenslade, Thomas B., Jr.

    2014-01-01

    Almost everyone "knows" that steam is visible. After all, one can see the cloud of white issuing from the spout of a boiling tea kettle. In reality, steam is the gaseous phase of water and is invisible. What you see is light scattered from the tiny droplets of water that are the result of the condensation of the steam as its temperature…

  7. Deliberate ignition of hydrogen-air-steam mixtures in condensing steam environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blanchat, T.K.; Stamps, D.W.

    1997-05-01

    Large scale experiments were performed to determine the effectiveness of thermal glow plug igniters to burn hydrogen in a condensing steam environment due to the presence of water sprays. The experiments were designed to determine if a detonation or accelerated flame could occur in a hydrogen-air-steam mixture which was initially nonflammable due to steam dilution but was rendered flammable by rapid steam condensation due to water sprays. Eleven Hydrogen Igniter Tests were conducted in the test vessel. The vessel was instrumented with pressure transducers, thermocouple rakes, gas grab sample bottles, hydrogen microsensors, and cameras. The vessel contained two prototypic engineered systems: (1) a deliberate hydrogen ignition system and (2) a water spray system. Experiments were conducted under conditions scaled to be nearly prototypic of those expected in Advanced Light Water Reactors (such as the Combustion Engineering (CE) System 80+), with prototypic spray drop diameter, spray mass flux, steam condensation rates, hydrogen injection flow rates, and using the actual proposed plant igniters. The lack of any significant pressure increase during the majority of the burn and condensation events signified that localized, benign hydrogen deflagration(s) occurred with no significant pressure load on the containment vessel. Igniter location did not appear to be a factor in the open geometry. Initially stratified tests with a stoichiometric mixture in the top showed that the water spray effectively mixes the initially stratified atmosphere prior to the deflagration event. All tests demonstrated that thermal glow plugs ignite hydrogen-air-steam mixtures under conditions with water sprays near the flammability limits previously determined for hydrogen-air-steam mixtures under quiescent conditions. This report describes these experiments, gives experimental results, and provides interpretation of the results. 12 refs., 127 figs., 16 tabs

  8. Thermodynamic study of the injection of steam bubbles in a subcooled liquid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Besset, Jacqueline.

    1980-10-01

    The behaviour of steam bubbles injected in a subcooled liquid has been studied. Water was the fluid chosen for this experiment for the steam and the liquid. The experiment was carried out at atmospheric pressure and the variable parameters were the ΔT subcooling (difference between the saturation temperature at the pressure under consideration and that of the liquid around the bubbles) and the steam output. We first studied the formation of the bubbles in a wide subcooling range (7 0 C 0 C). In this study a straight correlation was obtained giving the volume of the bubbles formed at the injector outlet, which is valid for a wide range of variables. The implosion of free bubbles in the liquid after they separated from the injector was then studied. In these experiments the significant implosion parameters are the Jakob Ja number, that measures the possibility of the liquid to absorb the heat given off by the condensation, and the Peclet Pe(RO) number, that defines the relative participation of conduction and convection in the heat exchanges. These numbers vary in the areas: 35 [fr

  9. Optimal design of marine steam turbine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Chengyang; Yan Changqi; Wang Jianjun

    2012-01-01

    The marine steam turbine is one of the key equipment in marine power plant, and it tends to using high power steam turbine, which makes the steam turbine to be heavier and larger, it causes difficulties to the design and arrangement of the steam turbine, and the marine maneuverability is seriously influenced. Therefore, it is necessary to apply optimization techniques to the design of the steam turbine in order to achieve the minimum weight or volume by means of finding the optimum combination of design parameters. The math model of the marine steam turbine design calculation was established. The sensitivities of condenser pressure, power ratio of HP turbine with LP turbine, and the ratio of diameter with height at the end stage of LP turbine, which influence the weight of the marine steam turbine, were analyzed. The optimal design of the marine steam turbine, aiming at the weight minimization while satisfying the structure and performance constraints, was carried out with the hybrid particle swarm optimization algorithm. The results show that, steam turbine weight is reduced by 3.13% with the optimization scheme. Finally, the optimization results were analyzed, and the steam turbine optimization design direction was indicated. (authors)

  10. Use of acoustic emission technique to study the spalling behaviour of oxide scales on Ni-10Cr-8Al containing sulphur and/or yttrium impurity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khanna, A.S.; Quadakkers, W.J.; Jonas, H.

    1989-01-01

    It is now well established that the presence of small amounts of sulphur impurity in a NiCrAl-based alloy causes a deleterious effect on their high temperature oxidation behaviour. It is, however, not clear whether the adverse effect is due to a decrease in the spalling resistance of the oxide scale or due to an enhanced scale growth. In order to confirm which of the factors is dominating, two independent experimental techniques were used in the investigation of the oxidation behaviour of Ni-10Cr-8Al containing sulphur- and/or yttrium additions: conventional thermogravimetry, to study the scale growth rates and acoustic emission analysis to study the scale adherence. The results indicated that the dominant factor responsible for the deleterious effect of sulphur impurity on the oxidation of a Ni-10Cr-8Al alloy, was a significant change in the growth rate and the composition of the scale. Addition of yttrium improved the oxidation behaviour, not only by increasing the scale adherence, but also by reducing the scale growth due to gettering of sulphur. (orig.) [de

  11. Phenomenological modelling of steam explosions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Corradini, M.L.; Drumheller, D.S.

    1980-01-01

    During a hypothetical core meltdown accident, an important safety issue to be addressed is the potential for steam explosions. This paper presents analysis and modelling of experimental results. There are four observations that can be drawn from the analysis: (1) vapor explosions are suppressed by noncondensible gases generated by fuel oxidation, by high ambient pressure, and by high water temperatures; (2) these effects appear to be trigger-related in that an explosion can again be induced in some cases by increasing the trigger magnitude; (3) direct fuel liquid-coolant liquid contact can explain small scale fuel fragmentation; (4) heat transfer during the expansion phase of the explosion can reduce the work potential

  12. Steam-water separator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Modrak, T.M.; Curtis, R.W.

    1978-01-01

    A two-stage steam-water separating device is introduced, where the second stage is made as a cyclone separator. The water separated here is collected in the first stage of the inner tube and is returned to the steam raising unit. (TK) [de

  13. The fate of organics in the water-steam cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huebner, P.

    2006-01-01

    The behaviour of organic matter in power plants has been examined. The samples were taken from water treatment plants producing make-up water for boilers as well as from water-steam cycles and cooling cycles. The power plants examined were Czech power plants, both fossil and nuclear, and one Slovakian nuclear plant. The tests were performed by the liquid chromatography - organic carbon detection (LC-OCD) method at a subcontractor lab. This method enables distinguishing between different groups of organic matter and from experience the effectiveness of water treatment technologies and the possible influence on the water-steam cycle of the power plant can be estimated. It has been confirmed that by using appropriate flocculation the problems in water treatment plants diminish and the VGB limit for total organic carbon (TOC) concentration of 200 μg . L -1 in boiler feedwater may be reached. The lower limit following EPRI recommendations of 100 μg . L -1 is hardly achievable using existing water treatment technology. This provides an open field for reverse osmosis technology that is able to remove organics completely. (orig.)

  14. EPRI steam generator programs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martel, L.J.; Passell, T.O.; Bryant, P.E.C.; Rentler, R.M.

    1977-01-01

    The paper describes the current overall EPRI steam generator program plan and some of the ongoing projects. Because of the recent occurrence of a corrosion phenomenon called ''denting,'' which has affected a number of operating utilities, an expanded program plan is being developed which addresses the broad and urgent needs required to achieve improved steam generator reliability. The goal of improved steam generator reliability will require advances in various technologies and also a management philosophy that encourages conscientious efforts to apply the improved technologies to the design, procurement, and operation of plant systems and components that affect the full life reliability of steam generators

  15. STEAM DALAM PEMBUATAN PAKAN UNTUK KOMODITAS AKUAKULTUR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sukarman Sukarman

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Kualitas fisik pakan (pelet untuk hewan akuakultur sangat penting, karena akan dimasukkan ke dalam air dan diharapkan tidak banyak mencemari lingkungan. Salah satu faktor yang berpengaruh dalam menjaga kualitas fisik pakan adalah penambahan dan pengaturan steam pada saat proses pembuatan pelet. Steam adalah aliran gas yang dihasilkan oleh air pada saat mendidih. Steam dibagi menjadi 3 jenis yaitu steam basah, saturated steam, dan superheated steam. Steam yang digunakan dalam proses pembuatan pelet adalah saturated steam. Pengaruh penambahan steam pada kualitas pelet bisa mencapai 20%. Penambahan steam dengan jumlah dan kualitas yang tepat akan menghasilkan pelet berkualitas. Sedangkan jika pengaturan dan penambahannya tidak tepat, maka kualitas fisik pelet akan rendah dan kemungkinan bisa merusak kandungan nutrisi seperti vitamin dan protein. Penambahan steam yang benar bisa dilakukan di dalam kondisioner dengan mengatur retention time, sudut kemiringan paddle conditioner, kecepatan putaran bearing dan menjaga kualitas steam dari mesin boiler sampai dengan kondisioner.

  16. Optimum thermal design of steam pipelines and its impact on environment pollution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdallah, A.M.; Karameldin, A.

    1999-01-01

    The majority portion of electric power generated production all over the world - produced by conventional and nuclear fuels produced by steam. Moreover, steam is used extensively in electronic, food, seawater desalination, and many other industries. In the last fifty years, little improvements have been made on the thermal efficiency of steam boilers. The major developments have been carried out in the direction of maintaining this efficiency on low-grade fuel and reducing labor and maintenance charges. Because the annual cost of fuel (nuclear and non-nuclear) is often greater than the combined cost of other expenses in steam power plants, greater amount of money can be saved. Designing steam pipelines in such a way that minimizing the total annual cost of pipes can do this. This can be done by optimal design of the total annual cost of the pipe lines, which includes the cost of insulation material, the cost of burned fuel plus the cost of maintenance. To deal with such situation, a case study of a superheated main steam pipeline at Shobrah Elkhema power plant is investigated. A general simplified working formula for calculating the heat transfer coefficient round a tube has been correlated and verified to facilitate the development for of the heat transfer mathematical model together with the steam pipeline total cost algorithm. The total cost algorithm has been optimized and solved by a digital computer program derived specially for this study. Accordingly, the obtained results are presented in a graphical form and analyzed. The results revealed that the optimal steam pipeline insulation must be chosen carefully. The insulation thickness of 0.225 up to 0.235 m, covers the operating time of 10-20 years, and fuel price of 0.125 up to more than 0.2$/kg. The calculated optimized insulation thickness minimizes the emission of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide from 375, 75 and 26,778 kg/m/y to less than 7, 1.7 and 590 kg/m.y respectively

  17. Catalytic properties of new anode materials for solid oxide fuel cells operated under methane at intermediary temperature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sauvet, A.-L.; Fouletier, J.

    The recent trend in solid oxide fuel cell concerns the use of natural gas as fuel. Steam reforming of methane is a well-established process for producing hydrogen directly at the anode side. In order to develop new anode materials, the catalytic activities of several oxides for the steam reforming of methane were characterized by gas chromatography. We studied the catalytic activity as a function of steam/carbon ratios r. The methane and the steam content were varied between 5 and 30% and between 1.5 and 3.5%, respectively, corresponding to r-values between 0.07 and 0.7. Catalyst (ruthenium and vanadium)-doped lanthanum chromites substituted with strontium, gadolinium-doped ceria (Ce 0.9Gd 0.1O 2) referred as to CeGdO 2, praseodymium oxide, molybdenum oxide and copper oxide were tested. The working temperature was fixed at 850°C, except for 5% ruthenium-doped La 1- xSr xCrO 3 where the temperature was varied between 700 and 850°C. Two types of behavior were observed as a function of the activity of the catalyst. The higher steam reforming efficiency was observed with 5% of ruthenium above 750°C.

  18. High Materials Performance in Supercritical CO2 in Comparison with Atmospheric Pressure CO2 and Supercritical Steam

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Holcomb, Gordon [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, (United States); Tylczak, Joseph [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, (United States); Carney, Casey [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, (United States); Dogan, Omer N. [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, (United States)

    2017-02-26

    This presentation covers environments (including advanced ultra-supercritical (A-USC) steam boiler/turbine and sCO2 indirect power cycle), effects of pressure, exposure tests, oxidation results, and mechanical behavior after exposure.

  19. Synthesis and optimization of steam system networks. 2. Multiple steam levels

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Price, T

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available The use of steam in heat exchanger networks (HENs) can be reduced by the application of heat integration with the intention of debottlenecking the steam boiler and indirectly reducing the water requirement [Coetzee and Majozi. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res...

  20. Towards H2-rich gas production from unmixed steam reforming of methane: Thermodynamic modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lima da Silva, Aline; Müller, Iduvirges Lourdes

    2011-10-01

    In this work, the Gibbs energy minimization method is applied to investigate the unmixed steam reforming (USR) of methane to generate hydrogen for fuel cell application. The USR process is an advanced reforming technology that relies on the use of separate air and fuel/steam feeds to create a cyclic process. Under air flow (first half of the cycle), a bed of Ni-based material is oxidized, providing the heat necessary for the steam reforming that occurs subsequently during fuel/steam feed stage (second half of the cycle). In the presence of CaO sorbent, high purity hydrogen can be produced in a single reactor. In the first part of this work, it is demonstrated that thermodynamic predictions are consistent with experimental results from USR isothermal tests under fuel/steam feed. From this, it is also verified that the reacted NiO to CH4 (NiOreacted/CH4) molar ratio is a very important parameter that affects the product gas composition and decreases with time. At the end of fuel/steam flow, the reforming reaction is the most important chemical mechanism, with H2 production reaching ∼75 mol%. On the other hand, at the beginning of fuel/steam feed stage, NiO reduction reactions dominate the equilibrium system, resulting in high CO2 selectivity, negative steam conversion and low concentrations of H2. In the second part of this paper, the effect of NiOreacted/CH4 molar ratio on the product gas composition and enthalpy change during fuel flow is investigated at different temperatures for inlet H2O/CH4 molar ratios in the range of 1.2-4, considering the USR process operated with and without CaO sorbent. During fuel/steam feed stage, the energy demand increases as time passes, because endothermic reforming reaction becomes increasingly important as this stage nears its end. Thus, the duration of the second half of the cycle is limited by the conditions under which auto-thermal operation can be achieved. In absence of CaO, H2 at concentrations of approximately 73 mol% can

  1. In-vessel coolability and steam explosion in Nordic BWRs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ma, W.; Li, L.; Hansson, R.; Villanueva, W.; Kudinov, P.; Manickam, L.; Tran, C.-T. (Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) (Sweden))

    2011-05-15

    The objective of this research is to reduce the uncertainty in quantification of steam explosion risk and in-vessel coolability in the Nordic BWR plants which employ cavity flooding as severe accident management (SAM) strategy. To quantify the coolability of debris bed packed with irregular particles, the friction laws of fluid flow in particulate beds packed with non-spherical particles were investigated on the POMECO-FL test facility, and the experimental data suggest that the Ergun equation is applicable if the effective particle diameter of the particles is represented by the equivalent diameter of the particles, which is the product of Sauter mean diameter and shape factor of the particles. One-way coupling analysis between PECM model for melt pool heat transfer and ANSYS thermo-structural mechanics was performed to analyze the vessel creep, and the results revealed two different modes of vessel failure: a 'ballooning' of the vessel bottom and a 'localized creep' concentrated within the vicinity of the top surface of the melt pool. Single-droplet steam explosion experiments were carried out by using oxidic mixture of WO{sub 3}-CaO, and the results show an apparent difference in steam explosion energetics between the eutectic and non-eutectic melts at low melt superheat (100 deg. C). (Author)

  2. In-vessel coolability and steam explosion in Nordic BWRs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma, W.; Li, L.; Hansson, R.; Villanueva, W.; Kudinov, P.; Manickam, L.; Tran, C.-T.

    2011-05-01

    The objective of this research is to reduce the uncertainty in quantification of steam explosion risk and in-vessel coolability in the Nordic BWR plants which employ cavity flooding as severe accident management (SAM) strategy. To quantify the coolability of debris bed packed with irregular particles, the friction laws of fluid flow in particulate beds packed with non-spherical particles were investigated on the POMECO-FL test facility, and the experimental data suggest that the Ergun equation is applicable if the effective particle diameter of the particles is represented by the equivalent diameter of the particles, which is the product of Sauter mean diameter and shape factor of the particles. One-way coupling analysis between PECM model for melt pool heat transfer and ANSYS thermo-structural mechanics was performed to analyze the vessel creep, and the results revealed two different modes of vessel failure: a 'ballooning' of the vessel bottom and a 'localized creep' concentrated within the vicinity of the top surface of the melt pool. Single-droplet steam explosion experiments were carried out by using oxidic mixture of WO 3 -CaO, and the results show an apparent difference in steam explosion energetics between the eutectic and non-eutectic melts at low melt superheat (100 deg. C). (Author)

  3. Creep behavior in interlaminar shear of a Hi-Nicalon™/SiC–B4C composite at 1200 °C in air and in steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruggles-Wrenn, M.B.; Pope, M.T.; Zens, T.W.

    2014-01-01

    Creep behavior in interlaminar shear of a non-oxide ceramic composite with a multilayered matrix was investigated at 1200 °C in laboratory air and in steam environment. The composite was produced via chemical vapor infiltration (CVI). The composite had an oxidation inhibited matrix, which consisted of alternating layers of silicon carbide and boron carbide and was reinforced with laminated Hi-Nicalon™ fibers woven in a five-harness-satin weave. Fiber preforms had pyrolytic carbon fiber coating with boron carbon overlay applied. The interlaminar shear properties were measured. The creep behavior was examined for interlaminar shear stresses in the 16–22 MPa range. Primary and secondary creep regimes were observed in all tests conducted in air and in steam. In air and in steam, creep run-out defined as 100 h at creep stress was achieved at 16 MPa. Similar creep strains were accumulated in air and in steam. Furthermore, creep strain rates and creep lifetimes were only moderately affected by the presence of steam. The retained properties of all specimens that achieved run-out were characterized. Composite microstructure, as well as damage and failure mechanisms were investigated. The tested specimens were also examined using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) with wavelength dispersive spectroscopy (WDS). Analysis of the fracture surfaces revealed significant surface oxidation, but only trace amounts of boron and carbon. Cross sectional analysis showed increasing boron concentration in the specimen interior

  4. Oxidation and stress corrosion cracking of stainless steels in SCWRs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gomez Briceno, D.; Castro, L.; Blazquez, F.

    2008-01-01

    SCWRs are high-temperature, high-pressure, water-cooled reactors that operate above the thermodynamic critical point of water (374 deg C, 22.1 MPa). The SCWR offers many advantages compared to state-of- the-art LWRs including the use of a single phase coolant with high enthalpy, the elimination of components such as steam generators and steam separators and dryers, a low coolant mass inventory resulting in smaller components, and a much higher efficiency ∼ 44% vs. 33% in current LWRs). In these systems high pressure (25 MPa) coolant enters the vessel at 280 deg C which is heated to about 500 deg C and delivered to a power conversion cycle. Supercritical water (SCW) exhibits properties significantly different from those of liquid water below the critical point. Supercritical water acting essentially as a non-polar dense gas with solvation properties approaching those of a low-polarity organic. In this conditions, can dissolve gases like oxygen to complete miscibility. Depending upon what species are present and how much oxygen is present in the solution can becomes a very aggressive oxidising environment. Most of the data on corrosion in supercritical water are from fossil plant or oxidation waste disposal systems. However there is very limited data on corrosion in low conductivity de-aerated SCW and less on stress corrosion cracking behaviour under operating conditions foreseen for SCWR. Candidate materials for structural components are materials for high temperatures and include ferritic-martensitic alloys; oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) ferritic/martensitic steels and strengthened steels by precipitation and for lower temperatures the austenitic stainless steels, such as 304 and 316, used in the LWR. Low swelling austenitic steels are also of high interest for areas with high dpa and high temperature. A review of the available information on corrosion and stress corrosion behaviour of different types of stainless steels in supercritical water at high

  5. Aerodynamic instabilities in governing valves of steam turbines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Richard, J.M.; Pluviose, M.

    1991-01-01

    The capacity of a.c. turbogenerators in a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) is regulated by means of governing valves located at the inlet of the high-pressure turbine. The conditions created in these valves (due to the throttling of the steam) involve the generation of a jet structure, possibly supersonic. Aerodynamic instabilities could potentially excite the mechanical structure. These aerodynamic phenomena are studied in this paper by means of a two-dimensional numerical model. Viscous effects are taken into account with heuristic criteria on separation and reattachment. Detailed experimental analysis of the flow behaviour is compared with the numerical prediction of stability limits. (Author)

  6. Oxidation of zirconium-aluminum alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cox, B.

    1967-10-01

    Examination of the processes occurring during the oxidation of Zr-1% A1, Zr-3% A1, and Zr-1.5% A1-0.5% Mo alloys has shown that in steam rapid oxidation occurs predominantly around the Zr 3 A1 particles, which at low temperatures appear to be relatively unattacked. The unoxidised particles become incorporated in the oxide, and become fully oxidised as the film thickens. This rapid localised oxidation is preceded by a short period of uniform film growth, during which the oxide film thickness does not exceed ∼200A-o. Thus the high oxidation rates can probably be ascribed to aluminum in solution in the zirconium matrix, although its precise mode of operation has not been determined. Once the solubility limit of aluminum is exceeded, the size, distribution and number of intermetallic particles affects the oxidation rate merely by altering the distribution of regions of metal giving high oxidation rates. The controlling process during the early stages of oxidation is electron transport and not ionic transport. Thus, the aluminum in the oxide film is presumably increasing the ionic conductivity more than the electronic. The oxidation rates in atmospheric pressure steam are very high and their irregular temperature dependence suggests that the oxidation rate will be pressure dependent. This was confirmed, in part, by a comparison with oxidation in moist air. It was found that the rate of development of white oxide around intermetallic particles was considerably reduced by the decrease in the partial pressure of H 2 O; the incubation period was not much different, however. (author)

  7. Steam cleaning device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karaki, Mikio; Muraoka, Shoichi.

    1985-01-01

    Purpose: To clean complicated and long objects to be cleaned having a structure like that of nuclear reactor fuel assembly. Constitution: Steams are blown from the bottom of a fuel assembly and soon condensated initially at the bottom of a vertical water tank due to water filled therein. Then, since water in the tank is warmed nearly to the saturation temperature, purified water is supplied from a injection device below to the injection device above the water tank on every device. In this way, since purified water is sprayed successively from below to above and steams are condensated in each of the places, the entire fuel assembly elongated in the vertical direction can be cleaned completely. Water in the reservoir goes upward like the steam flow and is drained together with the eliminated contaminations through an overflow pipe. After the cleaning has been completed, a main steam valve is closed and the drain valve is opened to drain water. (Kawakami, Y.)

  8. The impact of steam and current density on carbon formation from biomass gasification tar on Ni/YSZ, and Ni/CGO solid oxide fuel cell anodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mermelstein, Joshua; Millan, Marcos; Brandon, Nigel

    The combination of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and biomass gasification has the potential to become an attractive technology for the production of clean renewable energy. However the impact of tars, formed during biomass gasification, on the performance and durability of SOFC anodes has not been well established experimentally. This paper reports an experimental study on the mitigation of carbon formation arising from the exposure of the commonly used Ni/YSZ (yttria stabilized zirconia) and Ni/CGO (gadolinium-doped ceria) SOFC anodes to biomass gasification tars. Carbon formation and cell degradation was reduced through means of steam reforming of the tar over the nickel anode, and partial oxidation of benzene model tar via the transport of oxygen ions to the anode while operating the fuel cell under load. Thermodynamic calculations suggest that a threshold current density of 365 mA cm -2 was required to suppress carbon formation in dry conditions, which was consistent with the results of experiments conducted in this study. The importance of both anode microstructure and composition towards carbon deposition was seen in the comparison of Ni/YSZ and Ni/CGO anodes exposed to the biomass gasification tar. Under steam concentrations greater than the thermodynamic threshold for carbon deposition, Ni/YSZ anodes still exhibited cell degradation, as shown by increased polarization resistances, and carbon formation was seen using SEM imaging. Ni/CGO anodes were found to be more resilient to carbon formation than Ni/YSZ anodes, and displayed increased performance after each subsequent exposure to tar, likely due to continued reforming of condensed tar on the anode.

  9. Wet-steam erosion of steam turbine disks and shafts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Averkina, N. V.; Zheleznyak, I. V.; Kachuriner, Yu. Ya.; Nosovitskii, I. A.; Orlik, V. G.; Shishkin, V. I.

    2011-01-01

    A study of wet-steam erosion of the disks and the rotor bosses or housings of turbines in thermal and nuclear power plants shows that the rate of wear does not depend on the diagrammed degree of moisture, but is determined by moisture condensing on the surfaces of the diaphragms and steam inlet components. Renovating the diaphragm seals as an assembly with condensate removal provides a manifold reduction in the erosion.

  10. High-efficiency condenser of steam from a steam-gas mixture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milman, O. O.; Krylov, V. S.; Ptakhin, A. V.; Kondratev, A. V.; Yankov, G. G.

    2017-12-01

    The design of a module for a high-efficiency condenser of steam with a high content (up to 15%) of noncondensable gases (NCGs) with a nearly constant steam-gas mixture (SGM) velocity during the condensation of steam has been developed. This module provides the possibility to estimate the operational efficiency of six condenser zones during the motion of steam from the inlet to the SGM suction point. Some results of the experimental tests of the pilot high-efficiency condenser module are presented. The dependence of the average heat transfer coefficient k¯ on the volumetric NCG concentration v¯ has been derived. It is shown that the high-efficiency condenser module can provide a moderate decrease in k¯ from 4400-4600 to 2600-2800 W/(m2 K) at v¯ ≈ 0.5-9.0%. The heat transfer coefficient distribution over different module zones at a heat duty close to its nominal value has been obtained. From this distribution, it can be seen that the average heat transfer coefficient decreases to 2600 W/(m2 K) at an NCG concentration v¯ = 7.5%, but the first condenser sections ( 1- 3) retain high values of k¯ at a level of no lower than 3200 W/(m2 K), and the last sections operate less well, having k¯ at a level of 1700 W/(m2 K). The dependence of the average heat transfer coefficient on the water velocity in condenser tubes has been obtained at a nearly nominal duty such that the extrapolation of this dependence to the water velocity of 2 m/s may be expected to give k¯ = 5000 W/(m2 K) for relatively pure steam, but an increase in k¯ at v¯ = 8% will be smaller. The effect of the gas removal device characteristic on the operation of the high-efficiency condenser module is described. The design developed for the steam condenser of a gas-turbine plant with a power of 25 MW, a steam flow rate of 40.2 t/h, and a CO2 concentration of up to 12% with consideration for the results of performed studies is presented.

  11. Zirconium metal-water oxidation kinetics. III. Oxygen diffusion in oxide and alpha Zircaloy phases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pawel, R.E.

    1976-10-01

    The reaction of Zircaloy in steam at elevated temperature involves the growth of discrete layers of oxide and oxygen-rich alpha Zircaloy from the parent beta phase. The multiphase, moving boundary diffusion problem involved is encountered in a number of important reaction schemes in addition to that of Zircaloy-oxygen and can be completely (albeitly ideally) characterized through an appropriate model in terms of oxygen diffusion coefficients and equilibrium concentrations for the various phases. Conversely, kinetic data for phase growth and total oxygen consumption rates can be used to compute diffusion coefficients. Equations are developed that express the oxygen diffusion coefficients in the oxide and alpha phases in terms of the reaction rate constants and equilibrium solubility values. These equations were applied to recent experimental kinetic data on the steam oxidation of Zircaloy-4 to determine the effective oxygen diffusion coefficients in these phases over the temperature range 1000--1500 0 C

  12. Steam injection for heavy oil recovery: Modeling of wellbore heat efficiency and analysis of steam injection performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gu, Hao; Cheng, Linsong; Huang, Shijun; Li, Bokai; Shen, Fei; Fang, Wenchao; Hu, Changhao

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • A comprehensive mathematical model was established to estimate wellbore heat efficiency of steam injection wells. • A simplified approach of predicting steam pressure in wellbores was proposed. • High wellhead injection rate and wellhead steam quality can improve wellbore heat efficiency. • High wellbore heat efficiency does not necessarily mean good performance of heavy oil recovery. • Using excellent insulation materials is a good way to save water and fuels. - Abstract: The aims of this work are to present a comprehensive mathematical model for estimating wellbore heat efficiency and to analyze performance of steam injection for heavy oil recovery. In this paper, we firstly introduce steam injection process briefly. Secondly, a simplified approach of predicting steam pressure in wellbores is presented and a complete expression for steam quality is derived. More importantly, both direct and indirect methods are adopted to determine the wellbore heat efficiency. Then, the mathematical model is solved using an iterative technique. After the model is validated with measured field data, we study the effects of wellhead injection rate and wellhead steam quality on steam injection performance reflected in wellbores. Next, taking cyclic steam stimulation as an example, we analyze steam injection performance reflected in reservoirs with numerical reservoir simulation method. Finally, the significant role of improving wellbore heat efficiency in saving water and fuels is discussed in detail. The results indicate that we can improve the wellbore heat efficiency by enhancing wellhead injection rate or steam quality. However, high wellbore heat efficiency does not necessarily mean satisfactory steam injection performance reflected in reservoirs or good performance of heavy oil recovery. Moreover, the paper shows that using excellent insulation materials is a good way to save water and fuels due to enhancement of wellbore heat efficiency

  13. Flow behaviour in a CANDU horizontal fuel channel from stagnant subcooled initial conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Caplan, M.Z.; Gulshani, P.; Holmes, R.W.; Wright, A.C.D.

    1984-01-01

    The flow behaviour in a CANDU primary system with horizontal fuel channels is described following a small inlet header break. With the primary pumps running, emergency coolant injection is in the forward direction so that the channel outlet feeders remain warmer than the inlet thereby promoting forward natural circulation. However, the break force opposes the forward driving force. Should the primary pumps run down after the circuit has refilled, there is a break size for which the natural circulation force is balanced by the break force and channels could, theoretically, stagnate. Result of visualization and of full-size channel tests on channel flow behaviour from an initially stagnant channel condition are discussed. After a channel stagnation, the decay power heats the coolant to saturation. Steam is then formed and the coolant stratifies. The steam expands into the subcooled water in the end fitting in a chugging type of flow regime due to steam condensation. After the end fitting reaches the saturation temperature, steam is able to penetrate into the vertical feeder thereby initiating a large buoyancy induced flow which refills the channel. The duration of stagnation is shown to be sensitive to small asymmetries in the initial conditions. A small initial flow can significantly shorten the occurrence and/or duration of boiling as has been confirmed by reactor experience. (author)

  14. Hybrid preheat/recirculating steam generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lilly, G.P.

    1985-01-01

    The patent describes a hybrid preheat/recirculating steam generator for nuclear power plants. The steam generator utilizes recirculated liquid to preheat incoming liquid. In addition, the steam generator incorporates a divider so as to limit the amount of recirculating water mixed with the feedwater. (U.K.)

  15. Effects of iron content on electrical resistivity of oxide films on Zr-base alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kubo, Toshio; Uno, Masayoshi

    1991-01-01

    Measurements of electrical resistivity were made for oxide films formed by anodic oxidation and steam oxidation (400degC/12 h) on Zr plates with different Fe contents. When the Fe content was higher than about 1,000 ppm the electrical resistivity of the steam oxide films was almost equivalent to that of the anodic oxide films, while at lower Fe content the former exhibited lower electrical resistivity than the latter by about 1∼3 orders of magnitude. The anodic oxide film was an almost homogeneous single oxide layer. The steam oxide films, on the other hand, were composed of duplex oxide layers. The oxide layer formed in the vicinity of the oxide/metal interface had higher electrical resistivity than the near-surface oxide layer by about 1∼4 orders of magnitude. The oxide layer in the vicinity of the interface could act as a protective film against corrosion and its electrical resistivity is one important factor controlling the layer protectiveness. The electrical resistivity of the oxide/metal interfacial layer was strongly dependent on the Fe content. One possible reason for Fe to improve the corrosion resistance is that Fe ions would tend to stabilize the tetragonal (or cubic) phase and consequently suppress the formation of open pores and cracks in the interfacial layer. (author)

  16. Steam gasification of rapeseed, wood, sewage sludge and miscanthus biochars for the production of a hydrogen-rich syngas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sattar, Anwar; Leeke, Gary A.; Hornung, Andreas; Wood, Joseph

    2014-01-01

    Steam gasification of biochars has emerged as a promising method for generating syngas that is rich in hydrogen. In this study four biochars formed via intermediate pyrolysis (wood pellet, sewage sludge, rapeseed and miscanthus) were gasified in a quartz tubular reactor using steam. The dynamic behaviour of the process and effects of temperature, steam flow and particle size were studied. The results show that increases in both steam flow and temperature significantly increase the dry gas yield and carbon conversion, but hydrogen volume fraction decreases at higher temperatures whilst particle size has little effect on gaseous composition. The highest volume fraction of hydrogen, 58.7%, was obtained at 750 °C from the rapeseed biochar. - Highlights: • Four biochars from intermediate pyrolysis were gasified. • High hydrogen concentration was achieved in all cases. • Peak hydrogen was 165 mg min −1  g −1 biochar at 700–750 °C. • High mineral content biochars had the highest reactivities. • Varying particle size had very little effect on gaseous composition

  17. STEAM by Design

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keane, Linda; Keane, Mark

    2016-01-01

    We live in a designed world. STEAM by Design presents a transdisciplinary approach to learning that challenges young minds with the task of making a better world. Learning today, like life, is dynamic, connected and engaging. STEAM (Science, Technology, Environment, Engineering, Art, and Math) teaching and learning integrates information in…

  18. Study of the response of Zircaloy- 4 cladding to thermal shock during water quenching after double sided steam oxidation at elevated temperatures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sawarn, Tapan K., E-mail: sawarn@barc.gov.in; Banerjee, Suparna; Kumar, Sunil

    2016-05-15

    This study investigates the failure of embrittled Zircaloy-4 cladding in a simulated loss of coolant accident condition and correlates it with the evolved stratified microstructure. Isothermal steam oxidation of Zircaloy-4 cladding at high temperatures (900–1200 °C) with soaking periods in the range 60–900 s followed by water quenching was carried out. The combined oxide + oxygen stabilized α-Zr layer thickness and the fraction of the load bearing phase (recrystallised α-Zr grains + prior β-Zr or only prior β-Zr) of clad tube specimens were correlated with the %ECR calculated using Baker-Just equation. Average oxygen concentration of the load bearing phase corresponding to different oxidation conditions was calculated from the average microhardness using an empirical correlation. The results of these experiments are presented in this paper. Thermal shock sustainability of the clad was correlated with the %ECR, combined oxide+α-Zr(O) layer thickness, fraction of the load bearing phase and its average oxygen concentration. - Highlights: • Response of the embrittled Zircaloy-4 clad towards thermal shock, simulated under LOCA condition was investigated. • Thermal shock sustainability of the clad was correlated with its evolved stratified microstructure. • Cladding fails at %ECR value ≥ 29. • To resist the thermal shock, clad should have load bearing phase fraction > 0.44 and average oxygen concentration < 0.69 wt%.

  19. Exfoliation Propensity of Oxide Scale in Heat Exchangers Used for Supercritical CO2 Power Cycles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sabau, Adrian S [ORNL; Shingledecker, John P. [Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI); Kung, Steve [Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI); Wright, Ian G. [WrightHT, Inc.; Nash, Jim [Brayton Energy, LLC, Hampton, NH

    2016-01-01

    Supercritical CO2 (sCO2) Brayton cycle systems offer the possibility of improved efficiency in future fossil energy power generation plants operating at temperatures of 650 C and above. As there are few data on the oxidation/corrosion behavior of structural alloys in sCO2 at these temperatures, modeling to predict the propensity for oxide exfoliation is not well developed, thus hindering materials selection for these novel cycles. The ultimate goal of this effort is to provide needed data on scale exfoliation behavior in sCO2 for confident alloy selection. To date, a model developed by ORNL and EPRI for the exfoliation of oxide scales formed on boiler tubes in high-temperature, high-pressure steam has proven useful for managing exfoliation in conventional steam plants. A major input provided by the model is the ability to predict the likelihood of scale failure and loss based on understanding of the evolution of the oxide morphologies and the conditions that result in susceptibility to exfoliation. This paper describes initial steps taken to extend the existing model for exfoliation of steam-side oxide scales to sCO2 conditions. The main differences between high-temperature, high-pressure steam and sCO2 that impact the model involve (i) significant geometrical differences in the heat exchangers, ranging from standard pressurized tubes seen typically in steam-producing boilers to designs for sCO2 that employ variously-curved thin walls to create shaped flow paths for extended heat transfer area and small channel cross-sections to promote thermal convection and support pressure loads; (ii) changed operating characteristics with sCO2 due to the differences in physical and thermal properties compared to steam; and (iii) possible modification of the scale morphologies, hence properties that influence exfoliation behavior, due to reaction with carbon species from sCO2. The numerical simulations conducted were based on an assumed sCO2 operating schedule and several

  20. TEM/STEM study of Zircaloy-2 with protective FeAl(Cr) layers under simulated BWR environment and high-temperature steam exposure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Donghee; Mouche, Peter A.; Zhong, Weicheng; Mandapaka, Kiran K.; Was, Gary S.; Heuser, Brent J.

    2018-04-01

    FeAl(Cr) thin-film depositions on Zircaloy-2 were studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) with respect to oxidation behavior under simulated boiling water reactor (BWR) conditions and high-temperature steam. Columnar grains of FeAl with Cr in solid solution were formed on Zircaloy-2 coupons using magnetron sputtering. NiFe2O4 precipitates on the surface of the FeAl(Cr) coatings were observed after the sample was exposed to the simulated BWR environment. High-temperature steam exposure resulted in grain growth and consumption of the FeAl(Cr) layer, but no delamination at the interface. Outward Al diffusion from the FeAl(Cr) layer occurred during high-temperature steam exposure (700 °C for 3.6 h) to form a 100-nm-thick alumina oxide layer, which was effective in mitigating oxidation of the Zircaloy-2 coupons. Zr intermetallic precipitates formed near the FeAl(Cr) layer due to the inward diffusion of Fe and Al. The counterflow of vacancies in response to the Al and Fe diffusion led to porosity within the FeAl(Cr) layer.

  1. CANDU steam generator life management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tapping, R.L.; Nickerson, J.; Spekkens, P.; Maruska, C.

    1998-01-01

    Steam generators are a critical component of a nuclear power reactor, and can contribute significantly to station unavailability, as has been amply demonstrated in Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs). CANDU steam generators are not immune to steam generator degradation, and the variety of CANDU steam generator designs and tube materials has led to some unexpected challenges. However, aggressive remedial actions, and careful proactive maintenance activities, have led to a decrease in steam generator-related station unavailability of Canadian CANDUs. AECL and the CANDU utilities have defined programs that will enable existing or new steam generators to operate effectively for 40 years. Research and development work covers corrosion and mechanical degradation of tube bundles and internals, chemistry, thermalhydraulics, fouling, inspection and cleaning, as well as provision for specially tool development for specific problem solving. A major driving force is development of CANDU-specific fitness-for-service guidelines, including appropriate inspection and monitoring technology to measure steam generator condition. Longer-range work focuses on development of intelligent on-line monitoring for the feedwater system and steam generator. New designs have reduced risk of corrosion and fouling, are more easily inspected and cleaned, and are less susceptible to mechanical damage. The Canadian CANDU utilities have developed programs for remedial actions to combat degradation of performance (Gentilly-2, Point Lepreau, Bruce A/B, Pickering A/B), and have developed strategic plans to ensure that good future operation is ensured. The research and development program, as well as operating experience, has identified where improvements in operating practices and/or designs can be made in order to ensure steam generator design life at an acceptable capacity factory. (author)

  2. An investigation of an underwater steam plasma discharge as alternative to air plasmas for water purification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gucker, Sarah N; Foster, John E; Garcia, Maria C

    2015-01-01

    An underwater steam plasma discharge, in which water itself is the ionizing media, is investigated as a means to introduce advanced oxidation species into contaminated water for the purpose of water purification. The steam discharge avoids the acidification observed with air discharges and also avoids the need for a feed gas, simplifying the system. Steam discharge operation did not result in a pH changes in the processing of water or simulated wastewater, with the actual pH remaining roughly constant during processing. Simulated wastewater has been shown to continue to decompose significantly after steam treatment, suggesting the presence of long-lived plasma produced radicals. During steam discharge operation, nitrate production is limited, and nitrite production was found to be below the detection threshold of (roughly 0.2 mg L −1 ). The discharge was operated over a broad range of deposited power levels, ranging from approximately 30 W to 300 W. Hydrogen peroxide production was found to scale with increasing power. Additionally, the hydrogen peroxide production efficiency of the discharge was found to be higher than many of the rates reported in the literature to date. (paper)

  3. Analytical TEM of service-induced SCC in alloy 600TT steam generator tubing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wolfe, R.; Legras, L.; Boccanfuso; Martin, A.

    2015-01-01

    In 2008, Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Unit 1 performed tube pulls to confirm outside diameter stress corrosion cracking (ODSCC) in a steam generator with thermally treated Alloy 600TT tubing. Subsequent metallographic and other laboratory work attributed the cracking to the non-optimal microstructure of the tubing and the elevated residual stresses at the expansion transition. In the current work, analytical transmission electron microscopy was performed to gain a better understanding of this in-service cracking through a detailed characterization of the oxides and crack tips. These examinations, which are the first of this kind for U.S. Alloy 600TT tubing service cracks, detected lead (Pb) in the region of the top-of-tube sheet crevice, in oxides at the crack tips, and at degraded grain boundaries. In addition, sulfur was observed in oxides on the outside surface of the tube in the free span area. The presence of Pb at the crack tip and the lack of plasticity on the observed failure surfaces suggest that the environment played a predominant role in the cracking of this tubing with a non-optimal microstructure. The significance of the degradation will be discussed in the context of overall corrosion indications in Alloy 600TT steam generators in the United States. (authors)

  4. Steam cracking and methane to olefins: Energy use, CO2 emissions and production costs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ren, T.; Patel, M.K.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/18988097X; Blok, K.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/07170275X

    2008-01-01

    While most olefins (e.g., ethylene and propylene) are currently produced through steam cracking routes, they can also possibly be produced from natural gas (i.e., methane) via methanol and oxidative coupling routes. We reviewed recent data in the literature and then compared the energy use, CO2

  5. Experimental research regarding the corrosion of incoloy-800 and SA 508 cl.2 in the CANDU steam generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lucan, D.; Fulger, M.; Savu, G.; Velciu, L.

    2004-01-01

    Steam generators (SGs) are crucial components of pressurized water reactors. The failure of the steam generator as a result of tube degradation by corrosion has been a major cause of Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) plant unavailability. Steam generator problems have caused major economic losses in terms of lost electricity production through forced unit outages and, in cases of extreme damage, as additional direct cost for large-scale repair or replacement of steam generators. Steam generator tubes are susceptible to failure by a variety of mechanisms, the vast majority of which are related a corrosion. The feedwater that enters into the steam generators under normal operating conditions is extremely pure, but nevertheless contains low levels (generally in the μg/l concentration range) of impurities such as iron, chloride, sulphate, silicate, etc. When water is converted to steam and exits the steam generator, the non-volatile impurities are left behind. As a result, their concentration in the bulk steam generator water is considerably higher than those in the feedwater. Nevertheless, the concentrations of corrosive impurities are still generally sufficiently low that the bulk water is not significantly aggressive towards steam generator materials. The excellent performance to date of CANDU steam generators can be attributed, in part, to their design and performance characteristics, which typically involve higher recirculation ratios and lower heat fluxes and temperatures. The purpose of this paper consists in assessment of generalized corrosion behaviour of the tubes materials (Incoloy-800) and tubesheet material (carbon steel SA 508 cl.2) at the normal secondary circuit parameters (temperature-260 deg C, pressure-5.1MPa). The testing environment was the demineralized water without impurities, at pH=9.5 regulated with morpholine and ciclohexilamine (all volatile treatment - AVT). The results are presented like micrographies and graphics representing loss of metal

  6. Computer code to simulate transients in a steam generator of PWR nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva, J.M. da.

    1979-01-01

    A digital computer code KIBE was developed to simulate the transient behavior of a Steam Generator used in Pressurized Water Reactor Power PLants. The equations of Conservation of mass, energy and momentum were numerically integrated by an implicit method progressively in the several axial sections into which the Steam Generator was divided. Forced convection heat transfer was assumed on the primary side, while on the secondary side all the different modes of heat transfer were permitted and deternined from the various correlations. The stability of the stationary state was verified by its reproducibility during the integration of the conservation equation without any pertubation. Transient behavior resulting from pertubations in the flow and the internal energy (temperature) at the inlet of the primary side were simulated. The results obtained exhibited satisfactory behaviour. (author) [pt

  7. High-temperature hydrogen-air-steam detonation experiments in the BNL small-scale development apparatus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ciccarelli, G.; Ginsberg, T.; Boccio, J.; Economos, C.; Finfrock, C.; Gerlach, L.; Sato, K.

    1994-01-01

    The Small-Scale Development Apparatus (SSDA) was constructed to provide a preliminary set of experimental data to characterize the effect of temperature on the ability of hydrogen-air-steam-mixtures to undergo detonations and, equally important, to support design of the larger-scale High-Temperature Combustion Facility (HTCF) by providing a test bed for solution of a number of high-temperature design and operational problems. The SSDA, the central element of which is 10-cm inside diameter, 6.1-m long tubular test vessel designed to permit detonation experiments at temperatures up to 700K, was employed to study self-sustained detonations in gaseous mixtures of hydrogen, air, and steam at temperature between 300K and 650K at a fixed pressure of 0.1 MPa. Detonation cell size measurements provide clear evidence that the effect of hydrogen-air gas mixture temperature, in the range 300K to 650K, is to decrease cell size and, hence, to increase the sensitivity of the mixture to undergo detonations. The effect of steam content, at any given temperature, is to increase the cell size and, thereby, to decrease the sensitivity of stoichiometric hydrogen-air mixtures. The one-dimensional ZND model does a very good job at predicting the overall trends in the cell size data over the range of hydrogen-air-steam mixture compositions and temperature studied in the experiments. Experiments were conducted to measure the rate of hydrogen oxidation in the absence of ignition sources at temperatures of 500K and 650K, for hydrogen-air mixtures of 15% and 50%, and for a mixture of equimolar hydrogen-air and 30% steam at 650K. The rate of hydrogen oxidation was found to be significant at 650K. Reduction of hydrogen concentration by chemical reaction from 50 to 44% hydrogen, and from 15 to 11% hydrogen, were observed on a time frame of minutes. The DeSoete rate equation predicts the 50% experiment very well, but greatly underestimates the reaction rate of the lean mixtures

  8. Facility to separate water and steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loesel, G.

    1977-01-01

    The water/steam mixture from the pressure vessel e.g. of a BWR is separated by means of centrifugal separators untilizing the natural separation of steam. The steam is supplied to a steam drying vessel and the water to a water collecting tank. These vessels may be combined to a common vessel or connected through additional pipes. From the water collecting tank, arranged below the steam dryer, a feedwater pipe runs back to the pressure vessel. By construction out of individual components cleaning, decontamination, and operating control are essentially simplified. (RW) 891 RW [de

  9. Accidental behaviour of nuclear fuel in a warehousing site under air: investigation of the nuclear ceramic oxidation and of fission gas release

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Desgranges, L.

    2006-12-01

    After a brief presentation of the context of his works, i.e. the nuclear fuel, its behaviour in a nuclear reactor, and studies performed in high activity laboratory, the author more precisely presents its research topic: the behaviour of defective nuclear fuel in air. Then, he describes the researches performed in three main directions: firstly, the characterization and understanding of fission gas localisation (experimental localisation, understanding of the bubble forming mechanisms), secondly, the determination of mechanisms related to oxidation (atomic mechanisms related to UO 2 oxidation, oxidation of fragments of irradiated fuel, the CROCODILE installation). He finally presents his scientific project which notably deals with fission gas release (from UO 2 to U 3 O 7 , and from U 3 O 7 to U 3 O 8 ), and with further high activity laboratory experiments

  10. Drying system for steam generators, particularly for steam generators of nuclear power stations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lavalerie, Claude; Borrel, Christian.

    1982-01-01

    A drying system is described which allows for modular construction and which provides a significant available exchange area in a reduced volume. All the drying elements are identical and are distributed according to a ternay circular symmetry and are placed radially and associated to steam guiding facilities which alternately provide around the axis of revolution an output volume of dry steam from one element and an input volume of wet steam in the following element [fr

  11. Influence of dextran coating on the magnetic behaviour of iron oxide nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dutz, Silvio; Andrae, Wilfried; Hergt, Rudolf; Mueller, Robert; Oestreich, Christiane; Schmidt, Christopher; Toepfer, Jorg; Zeisberger, Matthias; Bellemann, Matthias E.

    2007-01-01

    Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with mean diameters in the range from 10 to 30 nm were prepared by modified chemical precipitation routes. The particles were suspended in an aqueous solution by coating of the particles with carboxymethyldextran. A stability against agglomeration was achieved over a period of more than 7 days. In the present investigation, the structural and the magnetic properties of the nanoparticles were investigated. The influence of the dextran shell on the strength of the dipole-dipole interactions between the neighbouring particles was determined by investigation of the remanence behaviour (Henkel plot) of coated as well as of uncoated particles

  12. International examples of steam generator replacement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wiechmann, K.

    1993-01-01

    Since 1979-1980 a total of twelve nuclear power plants world-wide have had their steam generators replaced. The replacement of the Combustion steam generators in the Millstone-2 plant in the United States was completed very recently. Steam generator replacement activities are going on at present in four plants. In North Anna, the steam generators have been under replacement since January 1990. In Japan, preparations have been started for Genkai-1. Since January 1992, the two projects in Beznau-1, Switzerland, and Doel-3, Belgium, have bee planned and executed in parallel. Why steam generator replacement? There are a number of defect mechanisms which give rise to the need for early steam generator replacement. One of the main reasons is the use of Inconel-600 as material for the heating tubes. Steam generator heating tubes made of Inconel-600 have been known to exhibit their first defects due to stress corrosion cracking after less than one year of operation. (orig.) [de

  13. Chronic dietary mercury exposure causes oxidative stress, brain lesions, and altered behaviour in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) parr

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berntssen, Marc H.G.; Aatland, Aase; Handy, Richard D.

    2003-01-01

    Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) parr were fed for 4 months on fish meal based diets supplemented with mercuric chloride (0, 10, or 100 mg Hg kg -1 DW) or methylmercury chloride (0, 5, or 10 mg Hg kg -1 DW) to assess the effects of inorganic (Hg) and organic dietary mercury on brain lipid peroxidation and neurotoxicity. Lipid peroxidative products, endogenous anti oxidant enzymes, brain histopathology, and overall behaviour were measured. Methylmercury accumulated significantly in the brain of fish fed 5 or 10 mg kg -1 by the end of the experiment, and inorganic mercury accumulated significantly in the brain only at 100 mg kg -1 exposure levels. No mortality or growth reduction was observed in any of the exposure groups. Fish fed 5 mg kg -1 methylmercury had a significant increase (2-fold) in the antioxidant enzyme super oxide dismutase (SOD) in the brain. At dietary levels of 10 mg kg -1 methylmercury, a significant increase (7-fold) was observed in lipid peroxidative products (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARS) and a subsequently decrease (1.5-fold) in anti oxidant enzyme activity (SOD and glutathione peroxidase, GSH-Px). Fish fed 10 mg kg -1 methylmercury also had pathological damage (vacoulation and necrosis), significantly reduced neural enzyme activity (5-fold reduced monoamine oxidase, MAO, activity), and reduced overall post-feeding activity behaviour. Pathological injury started in the brain stem and became more widespread in other areas of the brain at higher exposure levels. Fish fed 100 mg Hg kg -1 inorganic mercury had significant reduced neural MAO activity and pathological changes (astrocyte proliferation) in the brain, however, neural SOD and GSH-Px enzyme activity, lipid peroxidative products (TBARS), and post feeding behaviour did not differ from controls. Compared with other organs, the brain is particular susceptible for dietary methylmercury induced lipid peroxidative stress at relative low exposure concentrations. Doses of dietary

  14. Possible involvement of GABAergic mechanism in protective effect of melatonin against sleep deprivation-induced behaviour modification and oxidative damage in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Anil; Singh, Anant

    2009-08-01

    Sleep is an important physiological process responsible for the maintenance of physical, mental and emotional health of a living being. Sleep deprivation is considered risky for several pathological diseases such as anxiety and motor and cognitive dysfunctions. Sleep deprivation has recently been reported to cause oxidative damage. This study has been designed to explore the possible involvement of the GABAergic mechanism in protective effects of melatonin against 72-h sleep deprivation-induced behaviour modification and oxidative damage in mice. Mice were sleep-deprived for a period of 72 h using the grid over water suspended method. Animals were divided into groups of 6-8 animals each. Melatonin (5 and 10 mg/kg), flumazenil (0.5 mg/kg), picrotoxin (0.5 mg/kg) and muscimol (0.05 mg/kg) were administered for 5 days starting 2 days before 72-h sleep deprivation. Various behavioural tests (plus maze, zero maze, mirror chamber, actophotometer) and body weight assessment followed by oxidative stress parameters (malondialdehyde level, glutathione, catalase, nitrite and protein) were carried out. The 72-h sleep deprivation caused significant anxiety-like behaviour, weight loss, impaired locomotor activity and oxidative damage as compared with naïve (without sleep deprivation). Treatment with melatonin (5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg, ip) significantly improved locomotor activity, weight loss and antianxiety effect as compared with control (sleep-deprived). Biochemically, melatonin treatment significantly restored reduced glutathione, catalase activity, attenuated lipid peroxidation and nitrite level as compared with control animals (72-h sleep-deprived). Flumazenil (0.5 mg/kg) and picrotoxin (0.5 mg/kg) pretreatments with a lower dose of melatonin (5 mg/kg) significantly antagonized the protective effect of melatonin. However, muscimol (0.05 mg/kg) pretreatment with melatonin (5 mg/kg, ip) potentiated the protective effect of melatonin which was significant as compared with their

  15. Influence of uranium hydride oxidation on uranium metal behaviour

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patel, N.; Hambley, D.; Clarke, S.A.; Simpson, K.

    2013-01-01

    This work addresses concerns that the rapid, exothermic oxidation of active uranium hydride in air could stimulate an exothermic reaction (burning) involving any adjacent uranium metal, so as to increase the potential hazard arising from a hydride reaction. The effect of the thermal reaction of active uranium hydride, especially in contact with uranium metal, does not increase in proportion with hydride mass, particularly when considering large quantities of hydride. Whether uranium metal continues to burn in the long term is a function of the uranium metal and its surroundings. The source of the initial heat input to the uranium, if sufficient to cause ignition, is not important. Sustained burning of uranium requires the rate of heat generation to be sufficient to offset the total rate of heat loss so as to maintain an elevated temperature. For dense uranium, this is very difficult to achieve in naturally occurring circumstances. Areas of the uranium surface can lose heat but not generate heat. Heat can be lost by conduction, through contact with other materials, and by convection and radiation, e.g. from areas where the uranium surface is covered with a layer of oxidised material, such as burned-out hydride or from fuel cladding. These rates of heat loss are highly significant in relation to the rate of heat generation by sustained oxidation of uranium in air. Finite volume modelling has been used to examine the behaviour of a magnesium-clad uranium metal fuel element within a bottle surrounded by other un-bottled fuel elements. In the event that the bottle is breached, suddenly, in air, it can be concluded that the bulk uranium metal oxidation reaction will not reach a self-sustaining level and the mass of uranium oxidised will likely to be small in relation to mass of uranium hydride oxidised. (authors)

  16. Influence of uranium hydride oxidation on uranium metal behaviour

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Patel, N.; Hambley, D. [National Nuclear Laboratory (United Kingdom); Clarke, S.A. [Sellafield Ltd (United Kingdom); Simpson, K.

    2013-07-01

    This work addresses concerns that the rapid, exothermic oxidation of active uranium hydride in air could stimulate an exothermic reaction (burning) involving any adjacent uranium metal, so as to increase the potential hazard arising from a hydride reaction. The effect of the thermal reaction of active uranium hydride, especially in contact with uranium metal, does not increase in proportion with hydride mass, particularly when considering large quantities of hydride. Whether uranium metal continues to burn in the long term is a function of the uranium metal and its surroundings. The source of the initial heat input to the uranium, if sufficient to cause ignition, is not important. Sustained burning of uranium requires the rate of heat generation to be sufficient to offset the total rate of heat loss so as to maintain an elevated temperature. For dense uranium, this is very difficult to achieve in naturally occurring circumstances. Areas of the uranium surface can lose heat but not generate heat. Heat can be lost by conduction, through contact with other materials, and by convection and radiation, e.g. from areas where the uranium surface is covered with a layer of oxidised material, such as burned-out hydride or from fuel cladding. These rates of heat loss are highly significant in relation to the rate of heat generation by sustained oxidation of uranium in air. Finite volume modelling has been used to examine the behaviour of a magnesium-clad uranium metal fuel element within a bottle surrounded by other un-bottled fuel elements. In the event that the bottle is breached, suddenly, in air, it can be concluded that the bulk uranium metal oxidation reaction will not reach a self-sustaining level and the mass of uranium oxidised will likely to be small in relation to mass of uranium hydride oxidised. (authors)

  17. Frequency and distribution of leakages in steam generators of gas-cooled reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bongratz, R.; Breitbach, G.; Wolters, J.

    1988-01-01

    In gas cooled reactors with graphitic primary circuit structures - such as HTR, AGR or Magnox - the water ingress is an event of great safety concern. Water or steam entering the primary circuit react with the hot graphite and carbon-oxide and hydrogen are produced. As the most important initiating event a leak in a steam generator must be taken into account. From the safety point of view as well as for availability reasons it is necessary to construct reliable boilers. Thus the occurrence of a boiler leak should be a rare event. In the context of a probabilistic safety study for an HTR-Project much effort was invested to get information about the frequency and the size distribution of tube failures in steam generators of gas cooled reactors. The main data base was the boiler tube failure statistics of United Kingdom gas cooled reactors. The data were selected and applied to a modern HTR steam generator design. A review of the data showed that the failure frequency is not connected with the load level (pressures, temperatures) or with the geometric size of the heating surface of the boiler. Design, construction, fabrication, examination and operation conditions have the greatest influence an the failure frequency but they are practically not to be quantified. The typical leak develops from smallest size. By erosion effects of the entering water or steam it is enlarged to perhaps some mm 2 , then usually it is detected by moisture monitors. Sudden tube breaks were not reported in the investigated period. As a rule boiler leaks in gas cooled reactors are much more, rare then leaks in steam generators of light water reactors and fossil fired boilers. (author)

  18. French steam generator design developments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ginier, R.; Campan, J.L.; Pontier, M.; Leridon, A.; Remond, A.; Castello, G.; Holcblat, A.; Paurobally, H.

    1986-01-01

    From the outset of the French nuclear power program, a significant R and D effort has been invested in improvement of the design and operation of Pressurized Water Reactors including a special committment to improving steam generators. The steam generator enhancement program has spawned a wide variety of specific R and D resources, e.g., low temperature hydraulic models for investigation of areas with single-phase flow, and freon-filled models for simulation of areas of steam generators experiencing two-phase flow (tube bundles and moisture separators). For the moisture separators, a large scale research program using freon-filled models and highly sophisticated instrumentation was used. Tests at reactor sites during startup of both 900 MWe and 1300 MWe have been used to validate the assumptions made on the basis of loop tests. These tests also demonstrated the validity of using freon to simulate two-phase flow conditions. The wealth of knowledge accumulated by the steam generator R and D program has been used to develop a new design of steam generators for the N4 plants. The current R and D effort is aimed at qualifying the N4 steam generator model and developing more comprehensive models. One prong of the R and D effort is the Megeve program. Megeve is a 25 MW steam generator which simulates operating conditions of the N4 model. The other prong is Clotaire, a freon-filled steam generator model which will be used to qualify thermal/hydraulic design codes used for multidimensional calculations for design of tube bundles

  19. Exergy Steam Drying and Energy Integration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Verma, Prem; Muenter, Claes (Exergy Engineering and Consulting, SE-417 55 Goeteborg (Sweden)). e-mail: verma@exergyse.com

    2008-10-15

    Exergy Steam Drying technology has existed for past 28 years and many new applications have been developed during this period. But during past few years the real benefits have been exploited in connection with bio-fuel production and energy integration. The steam dryer consists of a closed loop system, where the product is conveyed by superheated and pressurised carrier steam. The carrier steam is generated by the water vapours from the product being dried, and is indirectly superheated by another higher temperature energy source such as steam, flue gas, thermal oil etc. Besides the superior heat transfer advantages of using pressurised steam as a drying medium, the energy recovery is efficient and simple as the recovered energy (80-90%) is available in the form of steam. In some applications the product quality is significantly improved. Examples presented in this paper: Bio-Combine for pellets production: Through integration of the Exergy Steam Dryer for wood with a combined heat and power (CHP) plant, together with HP steam turbine, the excess carrier steam can be utilised for district heating and/or electrical power production in a condensing turbine. Bio-ethanol production: Both for first and second generation of ethanol can the Exergy process be integrated for treatment of raw material and by-products. Exergy Steam Dryer can dry the distillers dark grains and solubles (DDGS), wood, bagasse and lignin. Bio-diesel production: Oil containing seeds and fruits can be treated in order to improve both the quality of oil and animal feed protein, thus minimizing further oil processing costs and increasing the sales revenues. Sewage sludge as bio-mass: Municipal sewage sludge can be considered as a renewable bio-fuel. By drying and incineration, the combustion heat value of the sludge is sufficient for the drying process, generation of electrical energy and production of district heat. Keywords; Exergy, bio-fuel, bio-mass, pellets, bio-ethanol, biodiesel, bio

  20. Steam jet ejectors are examined automatically

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lardiere, C.

    2013-01-01

    Steam jet ejectors are used in the nuclear industry particularly for the transfer of radioactive fluids. Their working is based on the Venturi effect and the conservation of energy. A steam ejector can be considered as a thermodynamical pump without mobile parts. The Descote enterprise manufactures a broad range of steam jet ejectors and the characterization and testing of the steam ejectors was made manually and empirically so far. A new test bench has been designed, the tests are led automatically and allow a more accurate characterization and optimization of the steam jet ejectors. (A.C.)