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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.
Y. Liao, S. Guentay, D. Suckow
Nuclear Technology | Volume 175 | Number 3 | September 2011 | Pages 510-519
Technical Paper | NURETH-13 Special / Thermal Hydraulics | doi.org/10.13182/NT11-A12502
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The once-through mode of steam generator reflux condensation in the presence of noncondensable gases and/or aerosols in loss-of-coolant accident scenarios is introduced. The plausible severe accident scenarios associated with once-through reflux condensation are analyzed with MELCOR to demonstrate the background and safety significance of this phenomenon. An analytical model for once-through reflux condensation with noncondensables inside one single U-tube is developed using the heat and mass transfer analogy approach. The conditions for partial condensation inside the single U-tube can be determined with this model. The progress of modification to the ARTIST test facility to experimentally study the tube-to-tube nonuniform behavior of once-through reflux condensation inside a U-tube bundle is reported.