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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.
Sherif S. Nafee
Nuclear Technology | Volume 175 | Number 1 | July 2011 | Pages 162-167
Technical Paper | Special Issue on the 16th Biennial Topical Meeting of the Radiation Protection and Shielding Division / Radiation Measurements and General Instrumentation | doi.org/10.13182/NT11-A12285
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Determining single-escape (SE), double-escape (DE), and full-energy (FE) peak efficiencies is helpful in prompt gamma-ray neutron activation analysis, in which identifying complicated gamma peaks as well as quantifying spectra is crucial. The FE peak efficiency was measured at the National Institute of Standards and Technology for a closed-end, n-type high-purity germanium (HPGe) cylindrical detector using standard point sources, whereas SE and DE peak efficiencies and the SE-to-DE peak ratio for the HPGe detector were calculated using compact analytical expressions.
