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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.
Peiwei Sun, Jin Jiang
Nuclear Technology | Volume 180 | Number 3 | December 2012 | Pages 399-421
Technical Paper | Special Issue on the Initial Release of MCNP6 / Thermal Hydraulics | doi.org/10.13182/NT12-A15352
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In this paper, a dynamic model of the Canadian supercritical water-cooled reactor (SCWR) is developed to examine its dynamics for potential control system design and analysis. The model development is based on fundamental mass, energy, and momentum conservation equations of major components within the Canadian SCWR operating at supercritical condition. A full set of nonlinear dynamic equations is first derived, from which linearized models are obtained. The linearized models are validated against the full-order nonlinear models in both time domain and frequency domain. The open-loop dynamic characteristics of the Canadian SCWR are investigated through extensive simulations. Steady-state and dynamic couplings among different inputs and outputs are examined using relative gain array and Nyquist plots, and adequate input-output pairings are identified. Cross-coupling at different operating conditions is also evaluated to illustrate the nonlinear behaviors of the system. The developed dynamic model provides a necessary platform for systematic investigation in the control system design and analysis of the Canadian SCWR.