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Swiss nuclear power and the case for long-term operation
Designed for 40 years but built to last far longer, Switzerland’s nuclear power plants have all entered long-term operation. Yet age alone says little about safety or performance. Through continuous upgrades, strict regulatory oversight, and extensive aging management, the country’s reactors are being prepared for decades of continued operation, in line with international practice.
M. L. Corradini, G. A. Moses
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 90 | Number 1 | May 1985 | Pages 19-27
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE85-A17427
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The vapor explosion process involves the mixing of fuel with coolant prior to the explosion. A number of analysts have identified limits to the amount of fuel/coolant mixing that could occur within the reactor vessel following a core melt accident. Past models are reviewed and a simplified approach is suggested to estimate the upper limit on the amount of fuel/coolant mixing possible. The approach uses concepts first advanced by Fauske in a different way. The results indicate that water depth is an important parameter as well as the mixing length scale Dmix, and for large values of Dmix the fuel mass mixed is limited to <7% of the core mass.