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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.
Christophe Poussin, Alain Holcblat
Nuclear Technology | Volume 112 | Number 1 | October 1995 | Pages 108-121
Technical Paper | Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow | doi.org/10.13182/NT95-A15856
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Thermal stratification may be responsible for the development of severe cracks in the feedwater line of steam generators in pressurized water reactors, leading Framatome to carry out an experimental program especially dedicated to this problem. This developmental program analyzes the mechanisms and the driving parameters of thermal stratification. It develops and qualifies an antistratification device to prevent thermal stratification at the steam generator feedwater nozzle location. The program also compares on-site measurements with mockup results. The outcome of the experimental program is a qualified helical antistratification device to be installed in the thermal sleeve of the steam generator feedwater nozzle. As required, this device significantly reduces thermal stratification effects in the feedwater system, even in very low feedwater flow conditions.