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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.
Aamir Husain
Nuclear Technology | Volume 85 | Number 1 | April 1989 | Pages 66-73
Technical Paper | Chemical Processing | doi.org/10.13182/NT89-A34228
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A regenerative process involving the use of a dilute solution of nitric (0.5 to 1.0 wt%) and hydrofluoric (0.05 wt%) acids was developed for decontaminating stainless steels (Type 304) to release limits. The solution is regenerated using a strong acid cation exchanger and may eventually be disposed of after processing through a strong base anion exchanger. The waste management aspect of the decontamination is thus limited to the disposal of relatively small volumes of spent cation and anion exchange resins. Application of the acidic reagent for 1 hat 95°C to the tray surfaces of an obsolete irradiated fuel storage basket from Pickering Nuclear Generating Station resulted in the removal of metal exceeding 1 µm and a residual (β,γ) contamination below a target limit of 0.1 µCi/m2. A soak tank system with associated purification, vapor handling, and auxiliary systems is proposed for performing full-scale decontaminations of the baskets.