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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.
Howard F. Bauman, Paul R. Kasten
Nuclear Technology | Volume 2 | Number 4 | August 1966 | Pages 287-293
Technical Paper and Note | doi.org/10.13182/NT66-A27518
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Thermal- and intermediate-energy molten-salt breeder reactors appear capable of fuel doubling times less than 20 years and fuel-cycle costs under 0.4 mill/kWh. These reactors are fueled with circulating molten salts consisting of the fluorides of thorium, uranium, lithium, and beryllium. Three reactor concepts were analyzed; the first two were graphite-moderated thermal breeders. In the first of these, the fissile and fertile materials were kept separated by graphite tubes in the core; in the second, the fissile and fertile materials were included in a single salt stream. In the third concept, an intermediate-energy breeder, the core was an unmoderated salt containing both fissile and fertile materials. The reactors were optimized for minimum fuel-cycle cost and maximum annual fuel yield. The results showed that each concept was capable of a low fuel-cycle cost and a short doubling time; however, the major development problems are different for each concept.