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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.
John F. Palsmeier, Sudarshan K. Loyalka
Nuclear Technology | Volume 184 | Number 1 | October 2013 | Pages 78-95
Technical Paper | Source Term Assessment | doi.org/10.13182/NT184-78
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The role of charge on aerosol evolution and hence the nuclear source term has been an issue of interest, and there is a need for both measurements and modeling for quantifying this role. We focus here on simulations of charged-aerosol evolution considering coagulation alone. We have used the direct simulation Monte Carlo technique and benchmarked it by comparing the results for monodisperse aerosols as obtained by deterministic techniques where the particles are charged but are assumed to remain monodisperse even after coagulation. We then further explore simulations of polydisperse and charged aerosols and compare the results with those obtained when the charge effects are ignored. We find that charge effects can be significant.