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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.
Emory D. Collins, W. Donald Box, Herschel W. Godbee, Timothy C. Scott
Nuclear Technology | Volume 87 | Number 4 | December 1989 | Pages 786-796
Technical Paper | TMI-2: Decontamination and Waste Management / Nuclear Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT89-A27672
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Samples of contaminated concrete from the basement of the reactor building at Three Mile Island Unit 2 were tested and analyzed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to determine the potential for decontamination by diffusion-controlled leaching under conditions of full submergence and by forced flow-through leaching of porous concrete block walls. Pertinent physical characteristics of the concrete were measured, and leaching tests were performed. Data were analyzed by established mass transport principles, and predictions of leaching for several years were made. A numerical algorithm was used to model removal of 137Cs and 90Sr by forced flow-through leaching. Results indicated that forced flow-through leaching would require only a few days, whereas complete decontamination by submerged, diffusion-only methods would require several years.