Comments on Ch 4 – Nuclear Fission (Part 2 of 9)

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You're right about the average life, Xeno...

But not the reason. Nuclear reactors don't become "radioactive." The fuel rods and damper rods are, of course, radioactive, but their level of radioactivity quickly reaches a plateau, and stays there.

Nuclear reactors last about 30 to 40 years because the associated machinery wears out, the piping gets old, the technology gets obsolete, and it becomes more cost effective to put a new reactor in place than to refurbish the old one.

By the way, the same is true for any other kind of power plant, except hydroelectric, and even there you have to replace the turbines periodically.

posted by arGee on November 27, 2006 at 5:09 PM | link to this | reply

average life of a nuclear reactor i have heard

is about 40 years

before its radioactivity renders it useless because it is so dangerous

posted by Xeno-x on November 27, 2006 at 3:19 PM | link to this | reply