Injection Process can reduce maintenance time.May 29, 2007 -
On-line NobleChem(TM) (OLNC) platinum injection process mitigates intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) in boiling water reactor (BWR) plants, potentially reducing maintenance outage times while protecting reactor internals. On-line NobleChem(TM) eliminates critical path refueling outage time by effectively utilizing small quantities of noble metals at times when reactor is operating at high temperatures.
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Original Press release
GE Energy
4200 Wild Wood Pkwy
Atlanta, GA, 30339
USA
GE Energy's Nuclear Business Introduces On-Line Noblechemtm Technology to BWR Plants
WILMINGTON, N.C. - May 3, 2007 - GE Energy's nuclear business has completed the first U.S. application of its patented On-line NobleChemTM (OLNC) platinum injection process to mitigate intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) in boiling water reactor (BWR) plants.
This new approach can help the BWR operator save millions of dollars by reducing the length of some maintenance outages while still protecting reactor internals.
The reference project was performed at the Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station's Unit 1 in central New York. Nine Mile Point is a two-unit BWR plant on the shores of Lake Ontario near Oswego, 35 miles north of Syracuse. The station is owned and operated by Baltimore, Md.-based Constellation Energy.
The station's reactors generate a total of 1,757 megawatts (MW), enough energy to supply two million households in New York. Unit 1, a 609-MW reactor, provides more than 11% of the state's residential power.
"As a leading provider of technology and services to the global nuclear industry, one of our key roles is to continuously develop and implement new products to help utilities increase plant performance and lower their operation and maintenance expenses," said Andy White, president and CEO of GE's nuclear business. "GE's new OLNC process will have clear technological and financial benefits throughout the entire BWR fleet around the world."
IGSCC, a common phenomenon that affects reactor internals and recirculation piping, can occur under extreme environmental conditions to susceptible materials that are under stress, such as in a reactor. For many years, BWR utilities have taken proactive measures to mitigate IGSCC of reactor internals and piping by employing GE's conventional, or "Classic," NobleChem(TM) injection process, which is traditionally applied at the start of a refueling outage. The process deposits noble metals, both platinum and rhodium, on surfaces of reactor internals and piping to mitigate the potential effects of IGSCC.
GE's new OLNC process is superior to the conventional application methods because it is performed while the reactor is still operating at full power. OLNC utilizes small quantities of noble metals that can be more effectively deposited when the reactor is operating at high temperatures. Therefore, OLNC technology eliminates critical path refueling outage time or a less common, mid-cycle dedicated outage required when using the conventional NobleChem(TM) process.
At NMP Unit 1, Constellation was able to eliminate the need for a focused, Classic NobleChem(TM) outage or the addition of an estimated 60-hour window at the beginning of a planned outage.
For the NMP Unit 1 project, GE provided an On-line NobleChem(TM) license and a permanent injection skid, which allows the plant's own GE-trained operators to reapply OLNC in the future. GE also provided full documentation, temporary analytical equipment, installation of equipment, a team for the initial OLNC application, and engineering consulting.
While this was the first U.S. application of GE's OLNC, the process was successfully implemented in 2005, 2006 and 2007 at a European nuclear power plant.
GE recommends that all BWR operators consider implementing the On-line NobleChem(TM) process at their earliest convenience to realize the benefits of IGSCC mitigation coupled with the advantages of minimizing operational impact.
GE Energy's nuclear business develops advanced light water reactors and provides a wide array of technology-based products and services to help owners of both boiling and pressurized water reactors safely operate their facilities with greater efficiency and output.
About GE Energy
GE Energy (www.ge.com/energy) is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies, with 2006 revenue of $19 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy works in all areas of the energy industry including
coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels. Numerous GE Energy products are certified under ecomagination, GE's corporate-wide initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that will help customers meet pressing environmental challenges.
For more information, contact:Claire Zurek +1 910 675 5034 claire.zurek@ge.com GE Energy's nuclear business Tom Murnane or Howard Masto Masto Public Relations + 1 518 786 6488 tom.murnane@mastopr.com howard.masto@ge.com
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