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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.
P. J. Ring, K. D. Challenger, H. J. Busboom
Nuclear Technology | Volume 16 | Number 1 | October 1972 | Pages 64-74
Technical Paper | Reactor Materials Performance / Material | doi.org/10.13182/NT72-A31176
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Burst rupture tests have been carried out on irradiated fuel pin cladding to determine the effect of intergranular attack on burst rupture strength and ductility and so to assess the ability of the weakened cladding to withstand power surge or loss of coolant conditions. The results from this series of tests indicate that the burst rupture strength or yield strength is not drastically reduced by localized attack extending through as much as 35% of the cladding thickness. Ductility values, however, do appear to be substantially reduced. In terms of reactor operation, this suggests that in a transient stress situation the cladding would be able to withstand higher stresses than previously predicted using a wall thinning criteria, based on the maximum depth of cladding attack, but would tolerate far less deformation than unattacked cladding before failure.