The Safety of Aging Reactors

Abstract

Attainment of safety with older reactors has two principal components. The first is upgrading of safety where necessary to meet current criteria, as shown by modern safety analysis. The second is avoidance of degradation from effects of chemical change, wear, and neutron irradiation. Methods of avoiding reduction of safety from all such causes are known and are found to be effective, so that long-term reduction in safety is not an insuperable barrier to continued use of the plants to generate electricity.