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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.
Yin-Pang Ma, Nien-Mien Chung, Bau-Shei Pei, Wei-Keng Lin, Yih-Yun Hsu
Nuclear Technology | Volume 94 | Number 1 | April 1991 | Pages 124-133
Technical Paper | Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow | doi.org/10.13182/NT91-A16228
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The void fraction is one of the most important quantities in experimental studies of two-phase flow. Two simple and economical techniques to determine this quantity are developed and discussed. The improved impedance method, in which a high-frequency processing circuit is developed to measure and amplify the voltage changes between the electrodes, is the first method. The differential pressure (D/P) method, in which a commercial differential pressure transmitter is used to determine the static pressure of two-phase flow, is the second method. Experiments including tests in vertical and horizontal pipes for the impedance method and a vertical pipe test for the D/P method have been performed. Furthermore, theoretical models of these two techniques are developed. The test results show that most of the measured void fractions are within a 20% error band compared with the actual void fraction.