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The human factor in licensing and operating the next generation of nuclear plants
As human factors specialists working at the intersection of human performance and nuclear operations, we are witnessing one of the nuclear sector’s most significant transitions in decades. The emergence of small modular reactors, microreactors, and other advanced designs is reshaping the industry’s landscape. Digital instrumentation and controls, passive safety systems, and increased automation are creating opportunities for greater safety margins and more flexible operation. These same features also fundamentally redefine what it means to “operate” a nuclear plant. Interactions among human roles, automation, and passive systems shape how people maintain awareness, exercise judgment, and intervene when necessary. These developments affect both operational realities and the regulatory foundations on which nuclear safety is built.
César Queral, Antonio Expósito, Alberto Concejal, Pablo Niesutta
Nuclear Technology | Volume 171 | Number 1 | July 2010 | Pages 53-73
Technical Paper | Thermal Hydraulics | doi.org/10.13182/NT10-A10772
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An analysis of the PKL midloop tests E3.1 and F2.2 run 2 was performed with the TRACE (TRAC/RELAP Advanced Computational Engine) and RELAP5/MOD3.3 codes. Both tests allow study of the phenomenology and different accident management actions after a loss of the residual heat removal system at midloop conditions with the primary side closed. A comparison of the results obtained with both codes and the experimental data shows that in general, the main phenomena are well reproduced. The good results obtained allow one to confirm that the modelization methodology is adequate for this kind of transient. However, there are still a few phenomena that are not well predicted, like pressurizer water level behavior.
