On the control of coolant parameters in long-life facilities

When nuclear power plants with heavy coolants are brought to operating mode as well as during their operation, it is necessary to control and maintain the oxygen content in the coolant within the specified limits. As a rule, the oxygen content in metal melts is controlled by sensors based on solid o...

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Main Authors: Yury G. Cherednichenko, Oleg E. Levin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: National Research Nuclear University (MEPhI) 2020-09-01
Series:Nuclear Energy and Technology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://nucet.pensoft.net/article/57734/download/pdf/
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author Yury G. Cherednichenko
Oleg E. Levin
author_facet Yury G. Cherednichenko
Oleg E. Levin
author_sort Yury G. Cherednichenko
collection DOAJ
description When nuclear power plants with heavy coolants are brought to operating mode as well as during their operation, it is necessary to control and maintain the oxygen content in the coolant within the specified limits. As a rule, the oxygen content in metal melts is controlled by sensors based on solid oxygen-ionic electrolytes. The article presents an analysis of the methodological aspects of dissolved oxygen control in non-isothermal circulating loops with metal coolants, using such sensors. It is shown that in the presence of dissolved loop wall materials and suspensions of their various oxides in the coolant, control over the values of the oxygen activity and concentration calculated for a pure coolant is in general unjustified. The authors present the experimental results of the distribution of oxidation potentials along the loop depending on the coolant temperature, obtained during long-term tests of cladding samples in a lead melt in two circulation facilities – SM2-M and TsU1-M – which differ in principal methods for maintaining specified oxygen conditions. In the low temperature region, the experimental values of the oxidation potential in both facilities are lower than those calculated for pure lead, which leads to a difference by two or more times of the calculated oxygen concentrations for the regions of the loop with Тmin and Тmax, i.e., the so-called oxygen ‘non-isoconcentration’ is observed along the loop. In deoxidation mode during hydrogen ejection into the coolant, the oxidation potential in the loop changes in a complex way, and it makes no sense to talk about the oxygen concentration. It is concluded that in long-life facilities, the coolant parameters for oxygen must be controlled not by the calculated oxygen activity or concentration but by the oxidation potential in the maximum temperature region. To obtain the correct values of the oxidation potential, measurements should be carried out in temperature-stable modes of throughout the facility.
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spelling doaj.art-a358612df0ed4fdca7b22e50e1514a492022-12-22T03:09:38ZengNational Research Nuclear University (MEPhI)Nuclear Energy and Technology2452-30382020-09-016313714110.3897/nucet.6.5773457734On the control of coolant parameters in long-life facilitiesYury G. Cherednichenko0Oleg E. Levin1IPPE JSCIPPE JSCWhen nuclear power plants with heavy coolants are brought to operating mode as well as during their operation, it is necessary to control and maintain the oxygen content in the coolant within the specified limits. As a rule, the oxygen content in metal melts is controlled by sensors based on solid oxygen-ionic electrolytes. The article presents an analysis of the methodological aspects of dissolved oxygen control in non-isothermal circulating loops with metal coolants, using such sensors. It is shown that in the presence of dissolved loop wall materials and suspensions of their various oxides in the coolant, control over the values of the oxygen activity and concentration calculated for a pure coolant is in general unjustified. The authors present the experimental results of the distribution of oxidation potentials along the loop depending on the coolant temperature, obtained during long-term tests of cladding samples in a lead melt in two circulation facilities – SM2-M and TsU1-M – which differ in principal methods for maintaining specified oxygen conditions. In the low temperature region, the experimental values of the oxidation potential in both facilities are lower than those calculated for pure lead, which leads to a difference by two or more times of the calculated oxygen concentrations for the regions of the loop with Тmin and Тmax, i.e., the so-called oxygen ‘non-isoconcentration’ is observed along the loop. In deoxidation mode during hydrogen ejection into the coolant, the oxidation potential in the loop changes in a complex way, and it makes no sense to talk about the oxygen concentration. It is concluded that in long-life facilities, the coolant parameters for oxygen must be controlled not by the calculated oxygen activity or concentration but by the oxidation potential in the maximum temperature region. To obtain the correct values of the oxidation potential, measurements should be carried out in temperature-stable modes of throughout the facility.https://nucet.pensoft.net/article/57734/download/pdf/Controloxygenheavy coolantci
spellingShingle Yury G. Cherednichenko
Oleg E. Levin
On the control of coolant parameters in long-life facilities
Nuclear Energy and Technology
Control
oxygen
heavy coolant
ci
title On the control of coolant parameters in long-life facilities
title_full On the control of coolant parameters in long-life facilities
title_fullStr On the control of coolant parameters in long-life facilities
title_full_unstemmed On the control of coolant parameters in long-life facilities
title_short On the control of coolant parameters in long-life facilities
title_sort on the control of coolant parameters in long life facilities
topic Control
oxygen
heavy coolant
ci
url https://nucet.pensoft.net/article/57734/download/pdf/
work_keys_str_mv AT yurygcherednichenko onthecontrolofcoolantparametersinlonglifefacilities
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