Corrosion control of nuclear steam generators under normal operation and plant-outage conditions: A review

Abstract

Nuclear steam generators (NSGs) are key components of nuclear power plants (NPPs) since their reliability affects the overall plant performance. Corrosion control of steam generators under operation and during plant outages is attained by proper design, adequate material selection and control of water chemistry in the entire secondary cooling circuit. This article reviews the types of steam generators, the materials used for their construction (with a special focus on tubing alloys), the corrosion processes that may occur under operation and the strategies to preserve steam generators and other components of the secondary cooling system from corrosion during plant outages.