Open AccessWATER CHEMISTRY AND FUEL ELEMENT SCALE IN EBWR
Author(s) -
C.R. Breden,
I. Charak,
R.H. Leyse
Publication year - 1960
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/4081362
Subject(s) - cladding (metalworking) , nuclear fission product , fission products , heat transfer , materials science , corrosion , chemistry , nuclear engineering , environmental science , metallurgy , radiochemistry , thermodynamics , engineering , physics
The first two sections summarize investigations in EBWR concenced with some aspects of water chemistry. The results of many of these investigations have not been previously published in a form given wide distribution. Included are studies of water conditions, corrosion products (composition, activities, transportation, deposition, and distribution), water dissociation, water activity, fission-product release, and build-up of plant activity. The last two sections of the report give the results of studies of the heattansfer characteristics of fuel-element scale and effects of high-temperature heating on scale removal and fuelelement growth. The maximum scale thickness measured was about 0.008 in. Heat-transfer calculations based on scale thermal conductivity measurements indicate the possibility of maximum fuel temperatures as high at 1692/sup o/F at 100-Mw operation of the core. This temperature is in a range where fuel growth, with resulting fuel element distortion and damage, is expected. Observed trends that may alleviate damage are the tendency of scale to flake off in high-heat transfer areas and the restraining effect of cladding on growth of fuel. No satisfactory means has been found to descale the fuel plates. (auth