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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.
G. L. Copeland, M. M. Martin
Nuclear Technology | Volume 56 | Number 3 | March 1982 | Pages 547-552
Technical Paper | Nuclear Fuel | doi.org/10.13182/NT82-A32913
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A common plate-type fuel for research and test reactors is U3O8 dispersed in aluminum and clad with an aluminum alloy. There is an impetus to reduce the 235U enrichment from above 90% to below 20%) for these fuels to lessen the risk of diversion of the uranium for nonpeaceful uses. Thus, the uranium content of the fuel plates has to be increased to maintain the performance of the reactors. Work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has determined the maximal uranium loading for these fuels that can be fabricated with commercially proven materials and techniques and that can be expected to perform satisfactorily in service. Assuming satisfactory performance in irradiation tests to the required burnup, we anticipate being able to increase the uranium loading in U3O8-Al dispersions to the 3.1 Mg U/m3 level (75 wt% U3O8). This loading level will allow many research reactors to be fueled by uranium of <20% enrichment.