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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.
Jason Chao, V. K. Chexal, William H. Layman, Gary Vine, Peter J. Jensen, Adi R. Dastur
Nuclear Technology | Volume 83 | Number 3 | December 1988 | Pages 289-301
Technical Paper | Fifth International Retran Meeting / Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow | doi.org/10.13182/NT88-A34142
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The two power peaks during the Chernobyl accident were analyzed using the system thermal-hydraulic code RETRAN-02. The time and magnitude of the first power peak predicted by the RETRAN model compared well with the data presented by the Soviets. The analysis also revealed that one of the contributing factors to the second power peak was the depressurization of the system. Depressurization occurred upon rupture of the pressure boundary, which was caused by the first power peak. The depressurization of the system generated more voids, resulting in additional reactivity insertion, which produced a second peak. A parametric study showed that the positive reactivity introduced by the scram rods and the reactivity caused by the positive void coefficient were both important in contributing to the accident.