Does erosion cause premature failure of steam generators?

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Severe erosion can lead to the premature disposal of the steam generator. When erosion reduces the wall thickness of the heat transfer tubes to below the minimum thickness permitted by design, and there are no effective means for repair, the steam generator meets the criteria for disposal and must be scrapped. Historically, phosphate corrosion was the main cause of failure in the heat transfer tubes of pressurized water reactor steam generators. Many early steam generators treated with phosphate solutions suffered from extensive tube wall thinning due to this corrosion, forcing their complete replacement well before the 40-year design life of the equipment. If it is only a minor localized erosion, it can be addressed through maintenance measures such as pipe plugging, without the need for immediate disposal; however, this will gradually reduce the number of heat transfer pipes available in the equipment, shortening its remaining service life.