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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.
R. C. Wang, Chin Pan, Chuen-Horng Tsai
Nuclear Technology | Volume 94 | Number 1 | April 1991 | Pages 1-14
Technical Paper | Fission Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT91-A16217
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An autoclave and a water treatment and monitoring system simulating the secondary side of a steam generator are used to investigate the hideout phenomena of sodium chloride in a tube-support-plate crevice. The primary-side heating tube is simulated by an internal heater. The experiments are performed at 1 atm pressure. The effects of heat flux, bulk concentration, crevice width, and the presence of a porous medium are investigated. It is found that the solute concentrates heavily near the upper end of the crevice. This concentration distribution in the axial direction is confirmed by a model developed in a parallel study. The hideout rate increases with increasing heat flux and bulk concentration. The concentration level in the crevice at a given time increases with increasing heat flux and bulk concentration and with decreasing crevice width. The presence of a porous medium in the crevice significantly enhances the concentration effect.