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Conference Article: Twenty-nine years of French experience in operating gas-cooled reactors

Abstract

French experience in the operation of gas-cooled reactors began in 1959 with startup of the G2 reactor in Marcoule. By 1972, seven other plants had entered service, and 145 reactor-years of operation have now been recorded. With the exception of two pairs of duplicated reactors (G3 and G2, SLA2 and SLA1), all these reactors were prototypes. They broadened French experience and enabled us to determine the advantages and drawbacks of the various technologies employed. Based on this experience, we now know the limitations of natural-uranium reactors moderated with graphite and cooled with CO2, and we can apply the lessons to other types of gas-cooled reactors. For this purpose, this paper discusses problems and accidents which occurred over the last 29 years.

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Reference:

Technical committee meeting on design requirements, operation and maintenance of gas-cooled reactors. San Diego, CA (USA). 21-23 Sep 1988

International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria). International Working Group on Gas-Cooled Reactors

IWGGCR--19, pp:113-119