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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.
Gee-Yong Park, Heung-Seop Eom, Seung Cheol Jang, Hyun Gook Kang
Nuclear Technology | Volume 183 | Number 1 | July 2013 | Pages 107-118
Technical Paper | Nuclear Plant Operations and Control | doi.org/10.13182/NT13-A16996
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This paper describes a method of estimating the probability of failure for trip-functioning software of a fully digitalized reactor protection system. The Bayesian inference is used to estimate and update the probability of software failure along the software development life cycle. At the requirements and design phases, the probability of software failure is estimated from qualitative quality information based on a specific verification and validation process. This probability of failure is updated at the implementation/testing phases, based on the test data for trip functions implemented by software.
