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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.
Behzad Boghrati, Ali Moussavi Zarandi, Mitra Ghergherehchi, Jong Seo Chai
Nuclear Technology | Volume 178 | Number 3 | June 2012 | Pages 324-334
Technical Paper | Radiation Measurements and General Instrumentation | doi.org/10.13182/NT12-A13597
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
One of the main advantages of continuous scintillators is the excellent depth of interaction identification capability. We present the results of the Monte Carlo program OPTICS simulating the light response of a gamma-ray detector module comprising a continuous scintillator and an avalanche photodiode array to determine the effect of scintillator surface treatment on the ability to determine the three-dimensional position of interaction. We investigated the effect of optical coupling compounds, surface treatment, and depth of interaction on the distribution of scintillation photons reaching the photodetector pixels. We show that a black coating material without an air gap leads to improvement.