The Lucens reactor was a 6 MW experimental nuclear power reactor built next to Lucens, Vaud, Switzerland. After its connection to the electrical grid on 29 January 1968, the reactor only operated for a few months before it suffered an accident on 21 January 1969. The cause was a corrosion-induced loss of heat dispersal leading to the destruction of a pressure tube which caused an adjacent pressure tube to fail, and partial meltdown of the core, resulting in radioactive contamination of the cavern.[1][2][3][4]
In 1962 the construction of a Swiss-designed pilotnuclear power plant began.[1][5][6][7] The heavy-water moderated, carbon dioxidegas-cooled reactor was built in a cavern.[8] It produced 28 MW of heat, which was used to generate 6 MW of electricity, and it became critical 29 December 1966.[1] It was fueled by 0.96% enriched uranium alloyed with chromium cased in magnesium alloy (magnesium with 0.6% zirconium) inserted into a graphite matrix. Carbon dioxide gas was pumped into the top of the channels at 6.28 MPa and 223 °C and exited the channels at a pressure of 5.79 MPa and at a temperature of 378 °C.[9]
The accident was caused by water condensation forming on some magnesium alloy fuel element components during shutdown and corroding them. These corrosion products accumulated in some fuel channels. One of the vertical fuel channels was sufficiently blocked by it to impede the flow of carbon dioxide coolant, causing the magnesium alloy cladding to melt and further block the channel. The increase in temperature and exposure of the uranium metal fuel to the coolant eventually caused the fuel to catch fire in the carbon dioxide coolant atmosphere. The pressure tube surrounding the fuel channel split because of overheating and bowing of the burning fuel assembly, and the carbon dioxide coolant leaked out of the reactor.[12][13]
No irradiation of workers or the population occurred, though the reactor's cavern was seriously contaminated. The cavern was decontaminated, and the reactor was dismantled over the next few years. The plant was decommissioned in 1988, and the last radioactive waste was removed in 2003.[14][15]
^Geoffrey F. Hewitt; John G. Collier (8 October 2018). Introduction to Nuclear Power. Taylor & Francis. p. 186. ISBN978-1-4822-2132-9.
^Catherine Mei Ling Wong (9 December 2017). Energy, Risk and Governance: The Case of Nuclear Energy in India. Springer. p. 262. ISBN978-3-319-63363-3.
^J. Wolters: Aufgetretene Unfälle mit Kernschäden; in Atomwirtschaft, Juni 1987
^Anthony, L. J. (1966). Sources of Information on Atomic Energy – International Series of Monographs in Library and Information Science. Vol. 2. Elsevier. p. 85. ISBN978-1-4831-5600-2.
^Wildi, Tobias (2003). Der Traum vom eigenen Reaktor – die schweizerische Atomtechnologieentwicklung 1945–1969(PDF) (in German). Chronos. doi:10.3929/ethz-a-004459704. hdl:20.500.11850/88080. ISBN978-3-0340-0594-4. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
lucens, reactor, experimental, nuclear, power, reactor, built, next, lucens, vaud, switzerland, after, connection, electrical, grid, january, 1968, reactor, only, operated, months, before, suffered, accident, january, 1969, cause, corrosion, induced, loss, hea. The Lucens reactor was a 6 MW experimental nuclear power reactor built next to Lucens Vaud Switzerland After its connection to the electrical grid on 29 January 1968 the reactor only operated for a few months before it suffered an accident on 21 January 1969 The cause was a corrosion induced loss of heat dispersal leading to the destruction of a pressure tube which caused an adjacent pressure tube to fail and partial meltdown of the core resulting in radioactive contamination of the cavern 1 2 3 4 Lucens reactorControl room of the Lucens reactor in April 1968Official nameVersuchsatomkraftwerk LucensCountrySwitzerlandLocationLucens VaudCoordinates46 41 34 16 N 6 49 36 81 E 46 6928222 N 6 8268917 E 46 6928222 6 8268917StatusDecommissionedConstruction began1 April 1962 1962 04 01 Commission date10 May 1968 1968 05 10 Decommission date3 March 1969 1969 03 03 Owner s Nationale Gesellschaft zur Forderung der industriellen AtomtechnikOperator s Energie Ouest SuisseNuclear power stationReactor typeHWGCRReactor supplierThermatomCooling sourceCarbon dioxidePower generationUnits decommissioned1 x 6 MW 1 Nameplate capacity6 MWExternal linksWebsitewww wbr ensi wbr ch wbr fr wbr themes wbr centrale nucleaire lucensCommonsRelated media on Commons edit on Wikidata Suffered a nuclear accident on 21 January 1969 leading to a partial core meltdown and massive radioactive contamination Contents 1 Description 2 Nuclear accident 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksDescription editIn 1962 the construction of a Swiss designed pilot nuclear power plant began 1 5 6 7 The heavy water moderated carbon dioxide gas cooled reactor was built in a cavern 8 It produced 28 MW of heat which was used to generate 6 MW of electricity and it became critical 29 December 1966 1 It was fueled by 0 96 enriched uranium alloyed with chromium cased in magnesium alloy magnesium with 0 6 zirconium inserted into a graphite matrix Carbon dioxide gas was pumped into the top of the channels at 6 28 MPa and 223 C and exited the channels at a pressure of 5 79 MPa and at a temperature of 378 C 9 Nuclear accident edit nbsp nbsp Beznau nbsp Gosgen nbsp Leibstadt nbsp Muhleberg nbsp Lucensclass notpageimage Switzerland nuclear power plants view nbsp Active plants nbsp Closed plants It was intended to operate until the end of 1969 but during a startup on 21 January 1969 it suffered a loss of coolant accident leading to a partial core meltdown and the radioactive contamination of the cavern which was then sealed 10 Using the criteria of the International Nuclear Event Scale introduced in 1990 by the International Atomic Energy Agency the event has been assessed as a Level 4 Accident with local consequences 11 The accident was caused by water condensation forming on some magnesium alloy fuel element components during shutdown and corroding them These corrosion products accumulated in some fuel channels One of the vertical fuel channels was sufficiently blocked by it to impede the flow of carbon dioxide coolant causing the magnesium alloy cladding to melt and further block the channel The increase in temperature and exposure of the uranium metal fuel to the coolant eventually caused the fuel to catch fire in the carbon dioxide coolant atmosphere The pressure tube surrounding the fuel channel split because of overheating and bowing of the burning fuel assembly and the carbon dioxide coolant leaked out of the reactor 12 13 No irradiation of workers or the population occurred though the reactor s cavern was seriously contaminated The cavern was decontaminated and the reactor was dismantled over the next few years The plant was decommissioned in 1988 and the last radioactive waste was removed in 2003 14 15 See also edit nbsp Switzerland portal nbsp Energy portal nbsp Nuclear technology portal Nuclear power in Switzerland List of civilian nuclear accidentsReferences edit a b c d LUCENS Reactor Details IAEA Power Reactor Information System International Atomic Energy Agency Retrieved 8 October 2016 Geoffrey F Hewitt John G Collier 8 October 2018 Introduction to Nuclear Power Taylor amp Francis p 186 ISBN 978 1 4822 2132 9 Catherine Mei Ling Wong 9 December 2017 Energy Risk and Governance The Case of Nuclear Energy in India Springer p 262 ISBN 978 3 319 63363 3 J Wolters Aufgetretene Unfalle mit Kernschaden in Atomwirtschaft Juni 1987 Anthony L J 1966 Sources of Information on Atomic Energy International Series of Monographs in Library and Information Science Vol 2 Elsevier p 85 ISBN 978 1 4831 5600 2 Wildi Tobias 2003 Der Traum vom eigenen Reaktor die schweizerische Atomtechnologieentwicklung 1945 1969 PDF in German Chronos doi 10 3929 ethz a 004459704 hdl 20 500 11850 88080 ISBN 978 3 0340 0594 4 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a journal ignored help Hug Peter 2009 Energie nucleaire Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse in French Hauterive Gilles Attinger Retrieved 9 October 2016 Summary of Swiss nuclear reactors SAPIERR Support Action Pilot Initiative for European Regional Repositories Archived 19 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Heavy water reactors status and projected development PDF Vienna International Atomic Energy Agency 2002 ISBN 978 9201115027 J Wolters Aufgetretene Unfalle mit Kernschaden in Atomwirtschaft Juni 1987 Ha Duong Minh Journe Venance 14 May 2014 Calculating nuclear accident probabilities from empirical frequencies Environment Systems and Decisions 34 2 249 258 doi 10 1007 s10669 014 9499 0 ISSN 2194 5403 S2CID 8507107 Description of events Nuclear tourist Heavy water reactors Status and projected development Archived 13 April 2007 at the Wayback Machine IAEA 2002 On site disposal as a decommissioning strategy PDF International Atomic Energy Agency November 1999 p 67 Retrieved 6 January 2013 Switzerland s first nuclear plant decommissioned SWI swissinfo ch Retrieved 11 October 2016 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lucens nuclear reactor Maps of Nuclear Power Reactors Switzerland Major Nuclear Power Plant Accidents Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Portal nbsp Nuclear technology Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lucens reactor amp oldid 1122818169, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
