Paper 26.

In-situ measurements of corrosion deposits on the primary

system at Paks nuclear power plant

P. O R M A I , MSc, T. P I N T E R , MSc, and I. C. S Z A B O , MSc, N u c l e a r P o w e r Plant of Paks, Hungary,

and T. S Z T A R I C S K A I , MSc, G . P E T O , MSc, and P. R A I C S , MSC, Institute of Experimental
Physics, D e b r e c e n , Hungary

An efficiency calibration procedure for primary tube-collimator-detector system has been

developed as a part of the in-situ gamma-flux intensity measurements carried out at the main
circulating pipeline of Paks N P P , The optimum source to detector position w a s determined on
the basis of efficiency obtained in function of distance between the detector' and pipe* The
evaluation of the in-situ measurement w a s made by use of the calibration coefficients obtained,
and the surface activities of the main pipes in different campaign have been compared.

INTRODUCTION of the detector system for point-sources in

1# Since no data are available on s h u t - the collimator plane ; K/R/ is a factor to
- down radiation levels as w e l l as on transfer the efficiency for different
surface activities of the primary systems for distances; i / R , E ^ / includes all
k the
W W E R - 4 4 O u n i t s , an extensive programme has geometrical effects concerning the tube
been developed and carried out to follow the characteristics, absorption,* k accounts for
behaviour and movement of corrosion products the measurement conditions: filled or empty,
at P a k s - 1 and Paks-2 4 4 0 W e PWR units of w i t h or without thermal insulation /bare,
USSR type reactor* As a part of this program wrapped/
in-situ gamma-flux intensity measurements
were carried out at the main circulating
pipelines of P a k s - 1 and P a k s - 2 units after
the second and first refuelling shut-down,
respectively*

Efficiency calibration
2 A n efficiency calibration procedure ibr
#

the primary tube-collimator-detector system

has been developed, A model experiment was
carried out using a spare part of intact main
circulating tube to determine the optimum
source to detector position, the absorption
in the tube walls and coolant, and the
geometry dependences including the effect of
the thermal insulation. The geometrical
arrangement is shown in P i g , 1 ,
3# Angle dependences of the measuring
system were determined in the horizontal and
vertical planes for different gamma energies. L M a i n p r i m a r y p i p e l i n e ( 2 - R = 500mm)5.Multimetal shield
The results for the vertical plane are given 2.lnsulation (W = 171mm) * 6.Lead collimator
in Pig, 2, A very similar shape of curve w a s 3.Detector-collimator 7.HPGe detector
4. L e a d s h i e l d
obtained for the horizontal plane,
Pig 1 , Sketch of the geometrical arrangema±
4# The energy dependence of efficiency for #

the collimator detector system was studied "by

6 The results of the calibration made it
#
point-sources. The results are given in
possible to get optimum for the experiment as
Pig. 3 .
a function of tube-detector distance. It is
5# The specific activity / d A / d f / f o r a
depicted in Pig# 4 #
given E transition w i t h the branching ratio
of gamma can be calculated by the following
In-situ measurements
formula:
7 , Using the portability of a small size
dA high purity germanium detector gamma-spectra
[1]
df :
C-rr(Ey) MR)'i(R4 have been measured in two-two positions on
the hot and cold leg at each of the six _
Where G includes the random pile-up losses primary cooling loops of the two reactor
and dead time, /the cascade coincidence was u n i t s . The gamma-spectrometric method allows
found to be-negligible / 7 ° / E ^ / accounts the quantitative determination the surface
for the energy dependence of the efficiency
Water chemistry for nuclear reactor systems 4. B N E S , L o n d o n , 1986 81

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BARE

EJF810.792 key ^
E=1173.23keV
0.5

20 30 40 50 60 70
d (cm)
m

0 0 14.6 0 \ Fig* 4# The distance dependence of

d ( c m ) 9 . 3 93 2 6 . 3 \
m
efficiency in different arrangements
810.792keV o v a \
1173.23 keV • t a *0

0° 10° 20° 30° J 40°

Table 1. Results of the in-sjtu gamma-flux
Fig. 2 Angle dependence of relative
M
measurements /Bq/cm /
efficiency /d(cJ)/ for the detector-collimator
system in the vertical plane ^ n ^ F e ^ C o 6 0
Co 9 5
Nb ^ V ^ S b
PAKS1
C O L D L E G 4416 3 9 9 0 3 5 4 0 0 10050 2 3 9 6 1 7 8 2 0
HOTLEG 1934 1 3 2 2 1 2 7 8 0 3084 196211200
10f3| integral efficiencies,£ PAKS 2
C O L D L E G 6 3 9 4 1 4 9 0 31720 7802 2449 19576 1386
filled HOT L E G 16611 3119 58414 15186 2946 18907 1115

10,-4
9. In can be concluded that the out-core
surface activities of Paks-1 and Paks-2 are
considerable lower than the planned ones and
a" significantly lower than at other plants of
E E similar type. This can be explained by the
~io- ' 5
point-source
lack of cobalt containing alloys in the
q'N^ efficiencies
primary circuit.

d_=22.9crd
r6 i^keV)
10
500 1000
Fig. 3# Energy dependence of efficiencies
activity on the internal w a l l of the
primary circuits. The surface activities of
the different radioactive isotopes were
corrected for the end of the operation time
period.
8, The corrected absolute surface
activities of different isotopes determined
at different points of the circulating
pipeline as well as the same positions of the
six cooling loops of the two reactor units
have been compared and analysed. The averaged
values for the six cooling loops are listed
Conclusion
10. The regular in-situ measurements on the
primary cooling circuits of the Paks NPP
3000 during the outage periods are planned to
provide possibility for monitorization of
corrosion and transport of its products in
the reactor circuits.
11. Furthermore, these data give useful
information from radiation point of view
since the shut-down radiation levels are of
great interest as the operational experiences
have shown that the major part of the annual
occupational exposure is received during the
planned outage for refuelling and maintenance.
REFERENCES
1. P. Beslu and e t . al, French experience
on corrosion products monitoring and control
in IWR's, Specialist Meeting on Influence of
Power Reactor Water Chemistry on Fuel Cladding
Reliability,San Miniato, Italy, 1 9 8 1 , 9 1 - 1 0 9 p-

in Table 1. The results are in good agreement
with the data obtained by direct samplings.
This project can provide the necessary data
to evaluate the effects of water chemistry
on development of the corrosion layers.
2. G.L, Horvath, P. Ormai, T. Pinter
Activated corrosion product research related
to WWER-440s in Hungary: measurements and
modelling, X V I I . Kraftwerkstechnische K o l l o -
quium, Dresden, GDR, 1985

82

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