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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.
Jozef C. Domanus
Nuclear Technology | Volume 92 | Number 3 | December 1990 | Pages 389-395
Technical Paper | Radiation Application | doi.org/10.13182/NT90-A16240
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The importance of measuring dimensions from neutron radiographs of nuclear reactor fuel is explained. Measurements are taken using either a profile projector or a traveling microdensitometer. Neutron radiographs are made by the direct, transfer, and track-etch techniques, the last two being used for radioactive objects such as spent reactor fuel. The accuracy of these measurements was investigated during the Euratom Neutron Radiography Working Group Test Program. Measuring results are discussed for different kinds of nuclear fuel pin dimensions and 30 different combinations of recording materials. The accuracy of the measurements is assessed by calculating standard deviations between the dimensions determined from neutron radiographs and the true dimensions of a calibration fuel pin.