A large-scale simulation of copper corrosion has been conducted using ohmically heated hollow copper strands that were connected to a physicochemically scale-downed generator water-cooling circuit to identify susceptible conditions in the domain of operating variables, and to understand the detailed mechanism(s) of plugging and clogging. The effect of the electrochemical corrosion potential (ECP) of copper on the plugging of generator water-cooling circuits has been identified through the simulation experiment. The experimental results exhibited that the ECP change across a critical value can trigger a massive release of particulate corrosion products followed by the plugging of a hollow copper strand in stator winding. The critical ECP at which a release of particulate corrosion products is caused corresponds to the phase boundary between cuprous oxide (Cu2O) and cupric oxide (CuO).

Subject
Circuits, Water, Corrosion rate, Oxides, Water chemistry, Particulates, Corrosion products, Oxide surfaces, Generators, Hydraulic equipment, Copper, Electrochemical potential, Electrodes
Keywords:
copper corrosion, electrochemical corrosion potential, generator water-cooling circuit, particulate corrosion product, plugging
NACE International
2005
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