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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.
E. Ariesanti, A. Kargar, D. S. McGregor
Nuclear Technology | Volume 175 | Number 1 | July 2011 | Pages 124-130
Technical Paper | Special Issue on the 16th Biennial Topical Meeting of the Radiation Protection and Shielding Division / Materials for Nuclear Systems | doi.org/10.13182/NT11-A12280
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Being a high-Z material, mercuric iodide (HgI2) has a relatively high gamma-ray absorption coefficient. Its low charge carrier mobilities, however, have somewhat hampered the interest in using this material as a room-temperature gamma-ray spectrometer. By using the Frisch collar technology, the influence of the low charge carrier can be significantly reduced. The growth of HgI2 by the Faile method in a horizontal furnace fortuitously produces tetragonal prismatic crystals. These crystals with appropriate dimensions can be fabricated into Frisch collar spectrometers. With the Frisch collar technology, 1.8% energy resolution for 662-keV gamma rays has been achieved.
