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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.
Won-Jin Cho, Sangki Kwon
Nuclear Technology | Volume 177 | Number 2 | February 2012 | Pages 245-256
Technical Paper | Radioactive Waste Management and Disposal | doi.org/10.13182/NT12-A13369
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The effects of the resaturation process occurring in the buffer on the analysis of temperature distribution in the engineered barrier system of a nuclear waste repository were assessed. The assessment was performed using the TOUGH2 computer code, which analyzes the multidimensional fluid and heat flows of the multiphase, multicomponent fluid mixture in an unsaturated medium. The hydraulic and thermal properties of the buffer, backfill, and near-field rock were measured and were used as input parameters for the analysis. If the resaturation process is considered in the thermal analysis, the disposal density of nuclear waste can be increased up to 30% under the given thermal constraint and site condition. The hydrostatic pressure in the near-field rock will not have an important impact on the resaturation process.