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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.
Kenneth J. Hofstetter, Beverly S. Ausmus+
Nuclear Technology | Volume 87 | Number 4 | December 1989 | Pages 837-844
Technical Paper | TMI-2: Decontamination and Waste Management / Nuclear Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT89-A27677
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Microbial contamination of the reactor and related systems at Three Mile Island Unit 2 caused concern because of the ability of microorganisms to facilitate corrosion and to degrade the underwater visibility. Microorganisms first had a direct impact on defueling and decontamination operations in mid-1985 when the visibility in the fuel pools became limited due to a large population of euglena. In early 1986, the defueling operators experienced a total loss of visibility in the reactor caused by higher order microorganisms in the water. While the development of control techniques was complicated by the radionuclides and the chemical constituents in the water, adequate biological control was accomplished using hydrogen peroxide as a biocide. No evidence of microbially induced corrosion was observed on any components removed from the reactor, the defueling tools, or the fuel storage canisters.