SCALING, DEPOSITION AND GENERAL COPPER CORROSION ELIMINATION IN CLOSED COOLING WATER SYSTEMS

摘要

In closed cooling water systems of the kind where deionized and usually deaerated cooling water comes into contact with copper or copper alloys, the formation of scales, depositions due to general copper corrosion is eliminated by the addition of H2 to the cooling water system. The product formed in anoxic (O2-free) water may be described as CuOyHx, but this product can be reduced and, thus, avoided if a sufficient amount of hydrogen is supplied. The life of the stator coil copper pipe for cooling water in an electric generator can be extended significantly by this invention, which is applicable also to other fields, such as closed cooling water systems for particle accelerators and nuclear fusion reactors (such as ITER), for example. In addition, the maintenance cost for such water cooling systems in contact with copper metal will be reduced drastically.