ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Mar 2026
Jan 2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
April 2026
Nuclear Technology
February 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
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.
Uldis Potapovs, J. Russell Hawthorne, Charles Z. Serpan, Jr.
Nuclear Technology | Volume 5 | Number 6 | December 1968 | Pages 389-409
Technical Paper and Note | doi.org/10.13182/NT68-A27965
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Embrittlement of the Army SM-1A reactor pressure vessel, as modified by the recently completed in-place anneal, was assessed, and an analysis made of its reembrittlement behavior with subsequent radiation service. Experimental results from a surveillance program covering one complete irradiation and annealing cycle are presented, together with a summary of experimental information on the annealing response of the vessel steel (A350-LF1, Modified) from accelerated irradiation programs. These data indicate a 0°F maximum pressure vessel wall Charpy- V 30-ft-lb transition temperature after the in-place anneal vs a −80°F preservice transition temperature (based on the notch ductility properties of a duplicate ring forging). The maximum Charpy- V 30-ft-lb transition temperature of the pressure vessel before the annealing operation was estimated at 190° F. A projection of postanneal pressure vessel lifetime in terms of neutron fluence >0.5 MeV was derived from spectra calculations and the experimentally predicted reirradiation response of the pressure vessel steel. The maximum permissible vessel wall fluence is estimated at 5.5 × 1019 n/cm2 (>0.5 MeV). This is comparable to-124.7 MW-y of reactor operation.