ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Mar 2026
Jan 2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
April 2026
Nuclear Technology
February 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
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.
Truong V. Vo, Doyle R. Edwards
Nuclear Technology | Volume 106 | Number 1 | April 1994 | Pages 110-124
Technical Paper | Reactor Operation | doi.org/10.13182/NT94-A34953
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The multiyear program entitled Nondestructive Evaluation Reliability for In-Service Inspection of Light Water Reactors, sponsored by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, is being conducted at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory. The goals of the program are to determine the reliability of current in-service inspection of pressure boundary systems and components and to develop recommendations that can ensure a suitably high inspection reliability. The long-term objective is to develop recommendations for improved in-service inspections. In meeting program objectives, a risk-based method has been developed to guide the development of inspection plans. The method uses results of probabilistic risk assessment and failure modes and effects analysis techniques to identify and prioritize the most risk-important systems and components for inspection at nuclear power plants. The Surry Nuclear Power Station Unit I was selected for demonstrating the methodology. The specific system addressed in this study was the high-pressure injection/recirculation (HPI/R) system. The results provide a risk-based ranking of components within the HPI/R system, which can be used to guide the development of improved inspection plans for nuclear power plants. This work will subsequently be used in supporting the revisions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ codes and standards.