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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.
Robert E. Einziger, Steven C. Marschman, H. Craig Buchanan
Nuclear Technology | Volume 94 | Number 3 | June 1991 | Pages 383-393
Technical Paper | Radioactive Waste Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT91-A15816
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Multiple samples of moderate-burnup pressurized water reactor (PWR) and boiling water reactor (BWR) spent fuel are oxidized in controlled atmosphere dry baths at 175, 130, and 110° C. The atmosphere consists of air humidified to a dew point of either—55 or +80°C. These tests are run for up to 18.8 kh. The weight gain data from these tests are analyzed using a mathematical model incorporating the assumption that oxidation occurs by rapid grain-boundary oxygen diffusion, followed by oxidation of the individual fuel grains. The BWR fuel appears to oxidize slightly faster than PWR fuel, and the data suggest a possible increase in oxidation rate in moist air. Reasonable agreement is observed between the oxidation rate constants obtained in these long-term tests and prior short-term thermogravimetric analysis oxidation tests.