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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.
J. A. Conlin, D. R. Cuneo, E. L. Long, Jr., C. L. Segasser
Nuclear Technology | Volume 8 | Number 6 | June 1970 | Pages 507-515
Material | doi.org/10.13182/NT70-A28650
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Bare (U, Th)O2 fuel pellets were irradiated in a graphite structure to evaluate the potential of this type fuel for high-temperature gas-cooled reactors. The maximum fuel temperature was 1650°C at fuel pellet centers and 1370°C at fuel pellet-tographite interfaces. The experiment was terminated when fission-gas release rates increased by an order of magnitude and the radial temperature gradient from the fuel pellet centers to outer edges increased from 335 to 390°C. Postirradiation evaluation showed no evidence of chemical reaction or incompatibility between the fuel and the surrounding graphite. The graphite underwent no significant changes, but most of the fuel pellets were severely fractured. Burnup (2.4% heavy metal) was below that where the fuel swelling would be expected and optical measurements of two intact pellets showed no dimensional changes.