压水堆一回路材料辐解增强腐蚀建模研究进展

    Modelling of Radiolysis Enhanced Corrosion of PWR Primary Circuit Materials

    • 摘要: 本工作系统综述了压水堆一回路冷却剂辐解与材料电化学腐蚀电位(ECP)建模的研究进展,重点介绍了我国新引进的LwrChem模拟软件的理论框架与工程应用。LwrChem通过耦合辐解反应动力学、电化学平衡方程及三维堆芯物理参数,实现了对一回路氧化还原环境的高精度模拟,并具备空间分辨能力。本工作首次将LwrChem应用于典型四环路压水堆,开展了不含氮气和含氮气两种运行工况的对比计算,结果显示:在含氮气条件下,氮与氢反应生成大量氨(NH3),显著消耗H2并削弱还原性环境,局部ECP略有上升,揭示了含氮气工况下腐蚀环境变化的潜在机制。模拟结果与实验数据偏差在±50 mV以内,验证了模型的准确性和适用性。进一步通过与堆芯物理软件SIMULATE5的集成,实现了对轴向功率偏移(CIPS)腐蚀风险的高分辨率评估,显著提升了腐蚀预测的空间准确性。本综述及工程应用分析结果为我国压水堆延寿评估、一回路水化学智能调控及新型反应堆开发提供了理论依据和技术支持,展现了LwrChem在水辐解与电化学腐蚀领域的工程应用潜力,对核电安全经济运行具有重要工程价值。

       

      Abstract: This paper presents a comprehensive review and case-based application of modeling radiolysis-enhanced corrosion phenomena in the primary circuit of pressurized water reactors(PWRs), with particular emphasis on the theoretical development and engineering deployment of the LwrChem simulation tool recently introduced in China. Radiolysis of reactor coolant, driven by gamma and neutron fluxes in the reactor core, produces chemically active species that influence redox conditions and, in turn, affect the corrosion potential of structural materials. The LwrChem model couples detailed radiolysis kinetics, electrochemical equilibrium calculations, and spatially resolved three-dimensional core physics to simulate coolant chemistry evolution with high accuracy and strong spatial fidelity. In this study, a typical four-loop PWR was modeled using a 178-compartment spatial decomposition to capture coolant behavior across core and non-core regions. Two distinct operational scenarios were investigated: one under nitrogen-free conditions, and the other reflecting nitrogen-pressurized conditions representative of volumetric control tank(VCT) operation with (7-20)×10−6 N2 concentrations. Simulation results demonstrated that, under standard hydrogen injection conditions(2.76×10−6), LwrChem successfully predicted steady-state hydrogen peroxide concentrations near 80×10−9 in high-irradiation zones and electrochemical corrosion potential(ECP) values ranging from –740 mV to –650 mV vs. standard hydrogen electrode(SHE). These predictions were validated against experimental data with deviations within ±50 mV, confirming model accuracy. When nitrogen was introduced into the system, the model captured significant hydrogen consumption(e.g., 500×10−9 reduced to 346×10−9) and the formation of ammonia(NH3) concentrations up to 3500×10−9, indicating a substantial shift in the redox environment. The appearance of oxidizing species such as NO2 suggested a potential NH3/NO2 synergistic mechanism in accelerating corrosion, although NO2 was not explicitly included in the electrochemical model. Moreover, spatial heterogeneity in ECP values across fuel assemblies was revealed, with lower potentials observed at the top of high-power bundles, highlighting the importance of axial redox variation in understanding localized corrosion and crud-induced power shift(CIPS) mechanisms. The study further introduces the integration of LwrChem with the SIMULATE5 core simulation platform, enabling high-resolution, node-level corrosion risk assessment based on actual power and radiation field distributions. This coupling improves predictive capability for identifying oxidation hotspots and supports targeted water chemistry control strategies, including hydrogen injection optimization. Overall, this work represents the first in-depth engineering validation of LwrChem under Chinese and the first systematic modeling of nitrogen pressurization effects on engineering application of coolant chemistry and corrosion. The model demonstrates strong scalability, broad applicability, and high reliability under extreme conditions, including high temperature, high pressure, and mixed-radiation fields. These capabilities position LwrChem as a valuable computational tool for predicting radiolysis-affected corrosion behavior, supporting nuclear power plant life extension, improving coolant chemistry management, and contributing to the safe, efficient development of advanced reactor technologies.

       

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