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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.
Robert A. Bari
Nuclear Technology | Volume 179 | Number 1 | July 2012 | Pages 35-44
Technical Paper | Special Issue on Safeguards / Fuel Cycle and Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT179-35
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An overview is presented of the objectives, accomplishments, and potential future directions of the program on the evaluation methodology for proliferation resistance and physical protection (PR&PP) of advanced nuclear energy systems. The PR&PP Working Group of the Generation IV International Forum developed the methodology through a series of demonstration and case studies. The results of the evaluations performed with the methodology are intended for three types of users: system designers, program policy makers, and external stakeholders. During the past few years, various national and international groups have applied the methodology to nuclear energy system design as well as to developing approaches to advanced safeguards. We suggest some future applications of the methodology in this paper.