General Electric Company

Other

Electric Power Research Institute Incorporated

Ge-hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC

Thomas Pompilio Diaz

Samson Hettiarachchi

Peter Louis Andresen

Young Jin Kim

Robert James Law

Robert Lee Cowan, Ii

David Phillip Siegwarth

Gary Paul Wozadlo

Thomas Martin Angeliu

Robert L Cowan, Ii

Daniel Weinstein

Gary W Contreras

John Yupeng Gui

Gerald M Gordon

Harvey Donald Solomon

Martin Mathew Morra

Paul Y Shu

Young-Jin Kim

Susan Elaine Garcia

William R Catlin

Luong Cam Tran

William D Miller

Gail E Dunning

Veronica L McCarthy

Sam Hettiarachchi

Ronald E LeBlanc

Ronald E De Lair

Rajeshwar Singh Pathania

John Ewing Weber

Juan Alberto Varela

Compositions and methods are provided for assessing the presence or absence, and optionally quantitating, the surface loading of a noble metal such as platinum on the surface of a substrate. The invention utilizes the decomposition rate of hydrogen peroxide (HO) or other redox active molecule following exposure to the substrate surface to effectively establish a qualitative or quantitative correlation between the redox agent survival fraction and the presence or absence of noble metal (e.g., platinum), and further, for the quantitation of noble metal loading on the substrate surface. The invention finds applicability in assessing the surface loading of noble metals on the internal surfaces of boiling water nuclear reactor plants (BWR) that have undergone prior noble metal application.

Non-destructive methods for noble metal loading analysis on material surfaces

A system and method of injecting a chemical into a high pressure process stream without pumps or other active components. The system utilizes the differential pressure created by resistive losses of downstream components within a high pressure process stream. A bypass side stream is taken from an upstream pressure location and returned to the downstream side of the resistive inline process component. The chemical solution vessel is pressurized by the higher side of the pressure differential. The solution then passes through a flow controlling capillary tube exiting on the lower pressure differential side into the bypass stream. The high flow rate chemically diluted bypass stream then returns to the process stream at the lower differential process stream tie-in. The chemical solution is isolated from the process water pressuring the vessel by a movable separating device preventing mixing of the two fluids. The vessel can also be pressurized by gas.

Passive injection of a chemical solution into a process stream

An injection system designed to deliver a chemical solution into a reactor through feedwater system taps during normal operating condition of a power reactor is disclosed. The process of delivery is via positive displacement pumps. Injection of chemical is in a concentrated solution form, which is internally diluted by the system prior to discharging from the skid. The injection system minimizes chemical loss due to deposition on the transit line, enables a higher concentrated solution to be used as the injectant, eliminates the time consuming laborious process of chemical dilution, raises chemical solution to the pressure required for injection, prevents solid precipitations out of solution at the injection pump head through the use of a flush solution, and deposits fresh chemical on new crack surfaces that develop during a power reactor start-up, shutdown and operation.

Chemical injection system and chemical delivery process/method of injecting into an operating power reactor

Provided are methods and systems for generating nanoparticles from an inorganic precursor compound using a hydrothermal process within at least one CSTR or PFR maintained at an elevated temperature and an elevated pressure and a treatment vessel in which this reaction solution can be applied to one or more catalyst substrates. In operation, the reaction solution may be maintained within the CSTR at a substantially constant concentration and within a reaction temperature range for a reaction period sufficient to obtain nanoparticles having a desired average particle size of, for example, less than 10 nm formation and/or deposition. Variations of the basic method and system can provide, for example, the generation of complex particle size distribution profiles, the selective deposition of a multi-modal particle size distribution on a single substrate.

Method of manufacturing nanoparticles

A method for mitigating stress corrosion cracking of a component exposed to a high temperature water in a high temperature water system is provided. The method comprises the steps of lowering corrosion potential conditions to a desired low corrosion potential in the high temperature water environment; and introducing a first material comprising zinc into the high temperature water environment, such that the desired low corrosion potential facilitates transport of the first material into cracks in a structure communicative with the high temperature water environment.

Mitigation of stress corrosion cracking of structural materials exposed to a high temperature water

A method and system for reducing stress corrosion cracking in a hot water system, such as a nuclear reactor, by reducing the electrochemical corrosion potential of components exposed to high temperature water within the structure. The method includes the steps of: providing a reducing species to the high temperature water; and providing a plurality of noble metal nanoparticles having a mean particle size of up to about 100 nm to the high temperature water during operation of the hot water system. The catalytic nanoparticles, which may contain at least one noble metal, form a colloidal suspension in the high temperature water and provide a catalytic surface on which a reducing species reacts with least one oxidizing species present in the high temperature water. The concentration of the oxidizing species is reduced by reaction with the reducing species on the catalytic surface, thereby reducing the electrochemical corrosion potential of the component.

Application of catalytic nanoparticles to high temperature water systems to reduce stress corrosion cracking

Method for controlling the amount of metal atoms deposited into an oxide layer present on a metal surface, which metal atoms increase the corrosion resistance of metal when present in the oxide film, wherein the metal surface is submerged in water at a selected temperature within the range of about to 200&deg; to 550&deg; F.; and a solution of a compound containing the metal which increases the corrosion resistance of the metal surface when present in the oxide film is injected into the water. The compound decomposes at the selected temperature to release atoms of the metal which incorporate in the oxide film at a desired loading.

Temperature-based method for controlling the amount of metal applied to metal oxide surfaces to reduce corrosion and stress corrosion cracking

A system and method for determining a noble metal concentration in a sample that is representative of a noble metal concentration in either a volume of water circulated through a nuclear reactor or a surface of a nuclear reactor component exposed to the volume of water. The system comprises: at least one standard having a predetermined concentration of the noble metal disposed its surface; an electrolyte bath for immersing one of the sample and the standard therein; an auxiliary electrode connectable to one of the sample and the standard; a power source connectable to a reference electrode and one of the standard and the sample; and a current measurement device capable of measuring a current passing between the auxiliary electrode and one of the sample and the standard. The power source is capable of providing a potential across the reference electrode and one of the sample and the standard, The noble metal concentration in the sample is determined relative to the predetermined concentration in the standard by comparing a sample current passing through the sample to a standard current passing through the standard.

System and method for determining noble metal concentrations in reactor coolant streams

A method for mitigating crack growth on the surface of stainless steel or other metal components in a water-cooled nuclear reactor. A compound containing a noble metal, e.g., palladium, is injected into the water of the reactor in the form of a solution or suspension. This compound has the property that it decomposes under reactor thermal conditions to release ions/atoms of the noble metal which incorporate in or deposit on the interior surfaces of the crack. The compound may be organic, organometallic (e.g., palladium acetylacetonate) or inorganic in nature. The palladium deposited inside a crack should exhibit catalytic behavior even if the bulk surface palladium is depleted under high fluid flow conditions. As a result, the electrochemical potential inside the crack is decreased to a level below the critical potential to protect against intergranular stress corrosion cracking.

Noble metal doping or coating of crack interior for stress corrosion

A method of depositing noble metals on surfaces or matrices to manufacture industrial catalysts that can be used in a variety of applications. Such deposition of noble metals can be achieved by treating the surfaces in high-temperature (150.degree. C. or higher) water containing dissolved noble metal ions or its colloidal suspensions. The method consists of the steps of placing the surface of a metal substrate in contact with a volume filled with high-temperature water; injecting a solution of a noble metal compound into the volume for a predetermined duration; and removing the surface of the metal substrate from contact with the high-temperature water after expiration of said predetermined duration. The noble metal compound has the property that it releases species of the noble metal in high-temperature water. These noble metal species deposit on or incorporate in the oxide film on the surface of the metal substrate.

Method of catalyst preparation by high-temperature hydrothermal

A method for mitigating general corrosion and crack initiation and growth on the surface of a metal components in a water-cooled nuclear reactor. A compound containing a non-noble metal such as zirconium or titanium is injected into the water of the reactor in the form of a solution or suspension. This compound decomposes under reactor thermal conditions to release ions or atoms of the non-noble metal which incorporate in the surfaces of the components, including the interior surfaces of any cracks formed therein. The preferred compounds are zirconium compounds such as zirconium acetylacetonate, zirconium nitrate and zirconyl nitrate. Zirconium incorporated in the oxided surface of a metal component will reduce the electrochemical corrosion potential at the surface to a level below the critical potential to protect against intergranular stress corrosion cracking without the addition of hydrogen.

Modification of oxide film electrical conductivity to maintain low

A method for improving the performance and longevity of coatings of metal deposited from aqueous solutions of inorganic, organic or oraganometallic metal compounds. The method involves co-deposition of noble metal or corrosion-inhibiting non-noble metal during growth of oxide film on a component made of alloy, e.g., stainless steels and nickel-based alloys. The result is a metal-doped oxide film having a relatively longer life in the reactor operating environment. In particular, incorporation of palladium into the film provides greatly increased catalytic life as compared to palladium coatings which lie on the oxide surface.

Co-deposition of palladium during oxide film growth in high-temperature

A system for ensuring the distribution of noble metal in the reactor circuit during plant application without measuring the reactor water for noble metal content by chemical analysis. The system performs the measurement of electrochemical corrosion potential in an autoclave or a high-flow test section that is connected to the reactor water circuit through sample lines downstream of the injection port, preferably the point in the reactor circuit which is furthest from the injection port. If the noble metal flows into the autoclave or test section at these distant points in the reactor circuit, then the noble metal will deposit on the test specimens inside the autoclave or test section. After the noble metal has been injected for a predetermined duration, the electrochemical corrosion potential autoclave or test section is exposed to hydrogen water chemistry conditions and the electrochemical corrosion potentials of the specimens inside the autoclave or test section will be measured to determine the extent of their catalytic response. A good catalytic response indicates that the noble metal has reached the locations upstream where electrochemical corrosion potential is being measured.

System for monitoring noble metal distribution in reactor circuit during

A method for ensuring the distribution of noble metal in the reactor circuit during plant application without measuring the reactor water for noble metal content by chemical analysis. The method involves the measurement of electrochemical corrosion potential in an autoclave or a high-flow test section that is connected to the reactor water circuit through sample lines downstream of the injection port, preferably the point in the reactor circuit which is furthest from the injection port. If the noble metal flows into the autoclave or test section at these distant points in the reactor circuit, then the noble metal will deposit on the test specimens inside the autoclave or test section. After the noble metal has been injected for a predetermined duration, the electrochemical corrosion potential autoclave or test section is exposed to hydrogen water chemistry conditions and the electrochemical corrosion potentials of the specimens inside the autoclave or test section will be measured to determine the extent of their catalytic response. A good catalytic response indicates that the noble metal has reached the locations upstream where electrochemical corrosion potential is being measured.

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San Martin, CA, United States of America

Thomas Pompilio Diaz