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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.
Dale T. Peters, Konrad J. A. Kundig, David F. Medley, Paul A. Enders
Nuclear Technology | Volume 104 | Number 2 | November 1993 | Pages 219-232
Technical Paper | Special Issue on Waste Management / Radioactive Waste Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT93-A34885
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Copper and aluminum bronze have been shown to exhibit a high degree of kinetic stability in anticipated repository environments, including mildly oxidizing conditions under high gamma fields. The nature of the thermodynamic and kinetic stability of the metals is discussed. It is proposed that a robust, composite waste container composed of a copper mantle surrounding an inner shell of high-strength aluminum bronze would make the best use of the corrosion- and creep-related properties of the metals. Several designs and closure techniques are suggested. A bimetallic, centrifugally cast cylinder with a diameter and wall thickness appropriate to a high-level waste burial container has been produced. The advantages of the bimetallic casting are discussed, as are the potential multifunctional applications of composite containers of this type. Suggestions for future work are proposed. Creation of an“engineered analog” is suggested as an additional redundant safeguard in the proposed repository.