Sensitivity analysis of thermal-hydraulic parameters to study the corrosion intensity in nuclear power plant steam generators

The failure of steam generators (SGs) due to corrosion is one of the most important problems in power plants. Impurities usually accumulate in the hot sides of SG and form deposits on the SG surfaces. In this paper, the sensitivity analysis of the accumulation of water impurities in the heat exchangers of nuclear power plants is presented. The convection-diffusion equation of the liquid phase on the heated surfaces is derived and then solved by the finite volume method. Also, the effects of the thermal–hydraulic parameters in the form of dimensionless numbers, such as Peq, Peu, kp(relative solubility of impurity between the steam and water) on the impurities concentration are studied. Keywords: Corrosion, Steam generators, Impurities, Hideout and return