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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.
Yu. Igitkhanov, B. Bazylev, I. Landman
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 62 | Number 1 | July-August 2012 | Pages 34-38
PFC and FW Materials Issues | Proceedings of the Fifteenth International Conference on Fusion Reactor Materials, Part A: Fusion Technology | doi.org/10.13182/FST12-A14108
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The thermal performance of the first wall (FW) monoblock module, made from carbon fiber composite (CFC) or tungsten alloy with a castellated plasma phasing surface, was analyzed for runaway electron (RE) impact under reactor conditions. A water cooling system with Cu pipes embedded into the module is used. Calculations demonstrate that, in ITER, for an expected RE pulse duration [approximately]0.1sec and deposition energy of [approximately]30MJ/m2 , the heat generation in a W monoblock occurs within a thin surface layer ([approximately]10m) which, however, does not melt. In the CFC case, heat generation occurs deep in the bulk ([approximately]1000m), but CFC does not experience brittle destruction. The intense X-ray radiation caused by runaways is strongly attenuated within a 10-mm-thick layer of W and does not pose any threat for the cooling system. For the CFC case, a small but significant heat generation caused by the RE can occur in the Cu pipe.