DocumentCode :
1103961
Title :
Nuclear weapons reactors: too hot to handle?
Author :
Fitzgerald, K.
Volume :
26
Issue :
6
fYear :
1989
fDate :
6/1/1989 12:00:00 AM
Firstpage :
37
Lastpage :
41
Abstract :
Problems that arose in August 1988 during the startup of a reactor at the Savannah River nuclear weapons plant in Aiken, South Carolina, led to Congressional hearings on defense reactors in general and the indefinite closing of all three operational reactors at Savannah River. Stress-corrosion cracking and outmoded design features may make operation of reactors a risky business, and Westinghouse Electric Corp., which in April 1989 took over operation of the plant, now faces the problem of assessing risk, improving safety, and judging when, if ever, it is safe to restart the reactors. The history of the Savannah River plant is described, and the present issues are examined in the context of risk assessment.<>
Keywords :
fission reactor safety; weapons; USA; defense reactors; design; nuclear weapons; risk assessment; safety; stress-corrosion cracking; Accidents; Inductors; Nuclear weapons; Power generation; Product safety; Production; Radiation safety; Risk analysis; Rivers; US Department of Energy;
fLanguage :
English
Journal_Title :
Spectrum, IEEE
Publisher :
ieee
ISSN :
0018-9235
Type :
jour
DOI :
10.1109/6.29338
Filename :
29338
Link To Document :
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