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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.
P. Mayo, F. Rodenas, J. M. Campayo, B. Marín, G. Verdú
Nuclear Technology | Volume 175 | Number 1 | July 2011 | Pages 48-52
Technical Paper | Special Issue on the 16th Biennial Topical Meeting of the Radiation Protection and Shielding Division / Radioisotopes | doi.org/10.13182/NT11-A12268
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The assessment and control of image quality is a fundamental task associated with good practice to guarantee a suitable diagnosis by the radiologist. The need for image quality assessments in radiography is well established, and the use of test phantoms is a common method for this purpose. In this work we present a developed tool that consists of a specific phantom (named RACON) that is used for acceptance and constancy test in order to analyze the image obtained by digital radiographic equipment, software (named SoftRACON) for automated image analysis with digital processing techniques, and a database to store test phantom images and the scoring results.The main objective is to characterize the constancy of the radiographic imaging chain and guarantee acceptable image quality, related to well-functioning of the radiographic equipment. Therefore, the application presented in this work is sensitive enough to the operating conditions of the radiographic digital equipment and allows the assessment of the imaging system quality and, consequently, increases the objectivity (accuracy) in the evaluation of the image.