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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.
Sang-Moon Lee, Kwang-Yong Kim
Nuclear Technology | Volume 175 | Number 2 | August 2011 | Pages 361-370
Technical Paper | Fission Reactors | doi.org/10.13182/NT11-A12309
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The shape optimization of the upper plenum of a pebble bed modular reactor (PBMR)-type gas-cooled nuclear reactor has been performed by using three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) analysis and a multiobjective optimization procedure. A multiobjective genetic algorithm is used for multiobjective optimization. Two objective functions related to the uniformity of the flow distribution at the core inlet and pressure drop through the upper plenum are employed. Three geometric design variables, namely, the ratio of the thickness of the slot to the diameter of the rising channels, the ratio of the height of the upper plenum to the diameter of the rising channels, and the ratio of the height of the slot at the inlet to that at the outlet, are used for the optimization. Latin hypercube sampling is used to determine the experimental points. The response surface approximation model is used to approximate the Pareto-optimal front with three-dimensional RANS analysis using the shear stress transport turbulence model. Seven optimal shapes have been obtained using k-means clustering. From an analysis of two typical optimal designs, it is found that both of the objective functions have been improved remarkably in comparison with the reference design.