Dispersant trial at ANO-2: Qualification for a short-term trial prior to SG replacement

Corrosion products in the secondary side of pressurized water reactor (PWR) steam generators (SGs) primarily deposit on the SG tubes. These deposits can inhibit heat transfer, lead to thermal-hydraulic instabilities through blockage of tube supports, and create occluded regions where corrosive species can concentrate along tubes and in tube-to-tube support plate crevices. The performance of the SGs is compromised not only by formation of an insulating scale, but by the removal of tubes from service due to corrosion. Currently, there are two strategies employed by utilities for minimizing deposit formation on steam generator internal surfaces. The first is to minimize the source term, i.e., reduce the amount of corrosion products in the feedwater. Two methods are commonly used to accomplish this goal: chemistry optimization and plant modifications. The first method uses alternate amines to control the at-temperature pH (pHT) in specific locations of the secondary system, thereby minimizing the corrosion of balance of plant (BOP) metals. The second method requires removal of metals from the secondary system that are a significant source of corrosion products (e.g., replace 90/10 Cu/Ni condenser tubes with titanium). The second strategy for lowering deposit loads utilizes chemical or mechanical means to remove existing deposits from the SGs (e.g., chemical cleaning or sludge lancing). Many utilities have opted for a combination of these two strategies. A third potential strategy for minimizing deposition of corrosion products on SG internal surfaces is to use online dispersant addition to help prevent the corrosion products from adhering to the steam generator surfaces. By inhibiting the deposition of the corrosion products, the dispersant can facilitate more effective removal from the SGs via blowdown. This type of strategy has been employed at fossil boilers for many decades. However, due to the use of inorganic (sulfur and other impurities) polymerization initiators, polymeric dispersants had not been utilized in the nuclear industry. Only recently has a poly-acrylic acid dispersant, developed by BetzDearborn (PAA), been available off the shelf that meets the criteria for nuclear application. This paper summarizes the qualification program designed to qualify the PAA dispersant for the short-term trial at ANO-2 prior to SG replacement. (authors)