Investigation of the noble metal deposition behaviour in boiling water reactors - the NORA project

NobleChem™ is a technology developed by General Electric to reduce stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in reactor internals and recirculation pipes of boiling water reactors (BWRs) while preventing the negative side effects of classical hydrogen water chemistry. Noble metals (Pt, Rh) acting as electrocatalysts for the recombination of O₂ and H₂O₂ with H₂ to H₂O and thus reducing the corrosion potential more efficiently are injected into the feed water during reactor shut-down (classical method) or on-line during power operation. They are claimed to deposit as very fine metallic particles on all water-wetted surfaces including the most critical regions inside existing cracks and to stay electrocatalytic over long periods of time. The effectiveness of this technology in plants remains still to be demonstrated. Based on highly credible laboratory experiments down to the sub-ppb Pt concentration range, SCC mitigation may be expected, provided that a stoichiometric excess of H₂ and a sufficient surface coverage with very fine Pt particles exist simultaneously at the critical locations. Very little is known about the deposition and (re-)distribution behaviour of the Pt in the reactor. For the validation of this technique the research project NORA (noble metal deposition behaviour in BWRs) has been started at PSI with two main objectives: (i) to gain phenomenological insights and a better basic understanding of the Pt distribution and deposition behaviour in BWRs; (ii) to develop and qualify a non-destructive technique to characterise the size and distribution of the Pt particles and its local concentration on reactor components. This paper presents the objectives of the project, the planned work and a brief description of the status of the project. (author)