Claims
- 1. A method of modeling noble metal loading reactions for a noble metal depositions process throughout a water flow circuit of a nuclear reactor, comprising the steps of:
dividing the primary water circuit into a plurality of separate regions each comprising a plurality of cells of equal flow residence time; and performing a mass balance evaluation for each individual cell.
- 2. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
determining noble metal concentrations and surface loadings in each cell using chemical kinetic equations based on local reaction rate constants for each cell; sampling the reactor water at one or more selected locations throughout the water flow circuit to determine concentrations of noble metals at each sample location; and updating one or more values used for local reaction rate constants based on sampled concentrations from said selected locations.
- 3. A method for modeling noble metal loading occurring within a water flow circuit for a nuclear reactor during a noble metal deposition process, comprising the steps performed by a computer of:
a) dividing the water flow circuit into a plurality of separate regions each comprising a plurality of cells of equal flow residence time; b) determining noble metal concentrations and surface loadings in each cell using chemical kinetic equations based on local reaction rate constants for each cell; and, c) updating one or more values used for local reaction rate constants based on sampled noble metal concentrations obtained from said selected locations within the water flow circuit.
- 4. A system for maintaining proper noble metal loading during an in situ noble metal deposition process for water cooled nuclear reactors, comprising:
a portable electronic device having access internally or via a digital communications link to a computer program for modeling noble metal loading occurring within a water flow circuit for a nuclear reactor during a noble metal deposition process, said device having an data input/output mechanism including a display for displaying a graph and/or text output data of modeled noble metal loading over time.
- 5. The system of claim 4 wherein the portable electronic device is a laptop computer.
- 6. A method of maintaining proper noble metal loading within a primary water flow circuit for a nuclear reactor for performing a noble metal deposition process, comprising the steps of:
a) obtaining data representing the initial state of the reactor water chemistry and initial operating conditions of the reactor; b) using a computer to model noble metal loading throughout the primary water flow circuit, wherein noble metal loading reactions are modeled by dividing the primary water circuit into a plurality of separate regions each comprising a plurality of cells of equal flow residence time and performing a mass balance evaluation for each individual cell; c) sampling the reactor water at one or more selected locations throughout the water flow circuit and measuring concentrations of noble metals for each sample; d) comparing measured concentrations of noble metals from each sample with concentration values produced by the computer modeling in step (b); e) calibrating a computer model used in computing noble metal reactions by altering values of reaction rate constants used by the computer model until the model results agree with the samples; and f) altering the operating conditions of the reactor if subsequent loading rates determined by the computer model are inconsistent with predetermined target goals.
- 7. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein modeling of noble metal loading is performed using a portable computer.
- 8. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein a computer modeling of the noble metal deposition also models reactor water chemistry, pH, and conductivity.
- 9. A computer program, embodied on a computer-readable medium, for modeling noble metal loading occurring during a noble metal deposition process in a nuclear reactor, comprising:
a) a set of instructions for reading a text file containing noble metal deposition process initialization data and conditions for a particular nuclear reactor; b) a set of instructions for modeling noble metal loading reactions, wherein noble metal loading reactions are modeled by dividing the primary water circuit into a plurality of separate regions each comprising a plurality of cells of equal flow residence time and performing a mass balance evaluation for each individual cell to determine concentrations and/or surface loading of noble metals; and c) a set of instructions for producing a graphical and/or printed output of computed noble metal loading for one or selected locations in the reactor.
- 10. A method for controlling the amount of noble metal atoms deposited over time into an oxide layer present on a metal surface of an object in contact with a high temperature fluid containing a compound having said metal atoms, which metal atoms increase the corrosion resistance of said metal surface when present in the oxide film, said method comprising the steps of:
a) using a computer to model noble metal loading in the fluid; b) sampling the fluid at one or more selected times during deposition and measuring concentrations of noble metals at each sample time; d) comparing measured concentrations of noble metals from at least one sample with concentration values computed by the computer model; e) calibrating the computer model by altering values of reaction rate constants used by the computer model until the model results agree with the sampled concentrations; and f) altering temperature conditions and/or noble metal concentrations in the fluid if subsequent loading rates determined by the computer model are inconsistent with predetermined deposition goals.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application serial No. 60/173,562, filed Dec. 30, 1999, the entire content of which is incorporated by reference into this application.
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09734039 |
Dec 2000 |
US |
Child |
10225192 |
Aug 2002 |
US |