Influence of the transient conditions on release of corrosion products and oxidation of alloy 690 tubes during Pressurized Water Reactor restart after Steam Generators Replacement

Abstract The radioactivity of the Reactor Coolant System (RCS) of Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) mainly comes from the release of corrosion products of Steam Generator (SG) tubes made of Ni-base alloys. In order to reduce this activity and thus the radiation exposure of PWR operators during maintenance operations, it is necessary to minimize the release. That requires prior understanding of the various mechanisms involved. EDF RD an equilibrium is established and the rate of release reaches a pseudo-stationary regime.