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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.
Mark T. Robinson, William A. Brooksbank, Jr., Samuel A. Reynolds, Henry W. Wright, Thomas H. Handley
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 4 | Number 3 | September 1958 | Pages 288-296
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE58-A25529
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Observations are reported on the behavior of several fission product elements in molten NaF-ZrF4-UF4 fuels, irradiated in capsule experiments, forced-convection in-pile loop experiments, and in the Aircraft Reactor Experiment (ARE). The rare gases have been observed to escape readily from the fuels in dynamic tests, although in static tests the rate of escape is very low. Ruthenium and niobium deposit on the Inconel walls of the fuel container, probably as metals. Other fission products studied (Sr, Zr, La, Ce) appear to remain in the fuel. The results obtained are entirely consistent with theoretical predictions. It is suggested that the observed noble metal deposit may serve to reduce corrosion of metals by molten fluoride fuels. The unsatisfactory nature of Cs137 as a fission monitor in such fuels is reported and the use of Zr95 as a substitute is discussed.