Method of operating a power generator based on noble metal induced oxidation of a heat transfer surface

1. A method of operating a nuclear reactor comprising:

determining a concentration of a noble metal substance in oxides on a heat transfer surface of the nuclear reactor, the oxides being in an oxide layer formed directly on a heat transfer surface and in a crud layer formed on the oxide layer;

determining a value correlating to an amount of oxides on the heat transfer surface of the nuclear reactor as a function of the concentration of the noble metal substance in the oxides using an expression representing an inducement of corrosion by the noble metal substance;

subsequent to the determination of the value correlating to the amount of oxides on the heat transfer surface, determining that the value correlating to the amount of oxides on the heat transfer surface has reached a predetermined value; and

altering operation of the nuclear reactor in response to the value correlating to the amount of oxides on the heat transfer surface reaching the predetermined value,

the value correlating to the amount of oxides on the heat transfer surface of the nuclear reactor being a thickness of the oxide layer and the crud layer,

the determining the concentration of the noble metal substance in the oxides comprising:

determining a first oxide noble metal concentration deposited directly on and within the oxide layer during a first time period;

determining a first crud noble metal concentration captured in the crud layer during the first time period;

determining a second oxide noble metal concentration deposited directly on and within the oxide layer during a second time period following the first time period, the second oxide noble metal concentration being a function of the first oxide noble metal concentration; and

determining a second crud noble metal concentration captured in the crud layer during the second time period, the second crud noble metal concentration being a function of the first crud noble metal concentration,

determining an oxide layer thickness of the oxide layer as a function of the second oxide noble metal concentration; and

determining a crud layer thickness of the crud layer as a function of the second crud noble metal concentration,

the determination that the thickness of the oxide layer and the crud layer has reached a predetermined value including determining that the oxide layer thickness plus the crud layer thickness has reached the predetermined value,

the altering operation of the nuclear reactor in response to the thickness of the oxide layer and the crud layer reaching the predetermined value including altering operation of the nuclear reactor in response to the oxide layer thickness plus the crud layer thickness reaching the predetermined value.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising injecting the noble metal substance into the nuclear reactor.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein the determining the value correlating to the amount of oxides on the heat transfer surface includes calculating a maximum peak noble metal substance loading on the heat transfer surface following the noble metal substance injection.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the heat transfer surface is on at least one fuel rod of the nuclear reactor, the determining the value correlating to the amount of oxides on the heat transfer surface including determining an axial distribution of the noble metal substance on the heat transfer surface of the at least one fuel rod.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the heat transfer surface is a nuclear fuel element surface.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the altering the operation of the nuclear reactor includes stopping the nuclear reactor.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the altering the operation of the nuclear reactor includes suppressing operation of a region of the nuclear reactor.

8. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein the maximum peak noble metal substance loading on the heat transfer surface is at a hottest nuclear fuel element in the nuclear reactor, the maximum peak noble metal substance loading being calculated using the following polynomial relationship:

c Pt P =A ( c Pt 1 ) 2 +B ( c Pt 1 )− C

where:

c Pt P is the maximum peak noble metal substance loading on heat transfer surfaces upon injection, μg/cm 2 ;

c Pt 1 is a noble metal target injection loading on non-heated surfaces, μg/cm 2 ; and

A, B and C are the equation's coefficients.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein the determining the first crud noble metal concentration captured in the crud layer during the first time period and the determining the first oxide noble metal concentration deposited directly on and within the oxide layer during the first time period are both performed based on plant observations regarding a ratio of noble metal distribution in the oxide layer and the crud layer using the following formula:

c Pt P =c Pt Poxide +c Pt Pcrud

where:

c Pt P is the maximum peak noble metal substance loading on heat transfer surfaces upon injection, μg/cm 2 ;

c Pt Poxide is the maximum peak noble metal substance loading on heat transfer surfaces upon injection going directly to the oxide, μg/cm 2 ; and

C Pt Pcrud is the maximum peak noble metal substance loading on fuel cladding upon injection going directly into crud on top of the fuel oxide, μg/cm 2 .

10. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein the determining the second oxide noble metal concentration deposited directly on and within the oxide layer during the second time period following the first time period is performed using the following formula:

c Pt Ox =c Pt O-BOC e (g*dt)   (10)

where:

c Pt Ox is the noble metal concentration in the oxide at given time and axial height;

c Pt O-BOC is the noble metal concentration at the oxide at the date of noble metal injection and the given axial height;

g is a coefficient for noble metal incorporation into the oxide; and

dt is the elapsed time since the date of noble metal injection.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the determining the second crud noble metal concentration captured in the crud layer during the second time period is performed using the following formula:

c Pt Cx =Mc Pt C(x-1)   (9)

where:

c Pt Cx is the noble metal concentration in μg/cm 2 in the crud layer at the given time;

c Pt C(x-1) is the platinum noble metal concentration in μg/cm 2 in the crud layer at the prior time interval to the given time; and

M is a release constant determined based on empirical data of flow erosion losses or coolant cleanup efficiency.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein the determining an oxide layer thickness of the oxide layer as a function of the second oxide noble metal concentration is performed using the following formula:

d O corr2 =d G ox +f Zr ( Hd G ox +J ( c Pt Ox ) 2 −K ( c Pt Ox ) 2 +Lc Pt Ox )

where:

d O corr2 is the oxide layer thickness of the oxide layer as a function of the second oxide noble metal concentration;

d G ox is the oxide thickness in micron conventionally predicted for the general corrosion of the heat transfer material;

H is a height of a hottest point of a hottest fuel element;

f Zr is a correction factor accounting for the lower oxygen dissociation rate of zirconium oxide;

and

J, K, and L are coefficients.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein the determining a crud layer thickness of the crud layer as a function of the second crud noble metal concentration is performed using the following formula:

d C corr2 =d G ox +H G ox +J ( c Pt Cx ) 3 −K ( c Pt Cx ) 2 +Lc Pt Cx

where:

d C corr2 is the crud layer thickness of the crud layer as a function of the second crud noble metal concentration.