The graphite core of an AGR nuclear power plant is a central nuclear safety component. The core is a loose stack of several thousand graphite bricks assembled to form a facet-sided cylinder of about 12m diameter by 10m height. The core serves to moderate (slow) the neutrons initiating fission in the nuclear fuel but in doing so its materials properties change and there is a pronounced loss of weight of graphite. This Review examines the importance of graphite radiolytic ageing to the nuclear safety case.
Review