Damage mechanisms and estimation of the frequency of leaks of steam generator tubes in German PWRs

Operating experience of steam generator tubes in German PWRs has shown that so far there have only relatively few cases of damage been registered. The only steam generators with a high failure rate were exchanged in 1983. The material of the affected tubes was Inconel 600. The types of failure that occurred in the late 70's and early 80's were mainly wastage corrosion, which was thought to be the result of phosphate operating. After optimising the water chemistry and changing to ''high AVT'' operating, the failure rate decreased considerably. In total, about 973 of the 193335 tubes that were in operation were plugged because of wall-thinning or leaks. There have been 6 leaks, with the highest leakage volume being 40 liters per hour. 7 refs., 6 figs., 6 tabs