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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.
L. F. Kendall, R. G. Wheeler, S. H. Bush
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 3 | Number 2 | February 1958 | Pages 171-185
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE58-A25459
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Corrosion rates of sponge zirconium and Zircaloy-2 in dry air were measured at 500, 600, and 700°C (930, 1110, and 1290°F). The reaction proceeds in two stages: initially the rate decreases with exposure time, approximating a cubic relationship; after sufficient exposure, the rate becomes a linear function of time. The rate constants calculated from the data and expressed by the Arrhenius equation, k = A exp (—Q/RT), are: . Extrapolation of these data to lower temperatures shows that the service life of structures fabricated from these metals amounts to several years at temperatures below 400°C (750°F).