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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.
Michael S. McGough, William E. Austin, George J. Knetl
Nuclear Technology | Volume 87 | Number 3 | November 1989 | Pages 648-659
Technical Paper | TMI-2: Remote Technology and Engineering / Nuclear Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT89-A27717
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The lower core support assembly (LCSA) of the Three Mile Island Unit 2 reactor was not structurally damaged during the accident. In order to permit defueling of that region of the core, the LCSA was cut to permit access. A five-axis teleoperator was developed to deliver plasma cutting, rotary grinding, and abrasive water-jetting end effectors to the LCSA. In addition, the automated cutting equipment system (ACES) manipulator and plasma system were used for vertical sectioning of the baffle plates. The ACES and the end effectors were designed, fabricated, tested, and implemented in the field by PCI Energy Services. Complex geometry sectioning was completed in a mock-up facility at chemistry and pressure conditions simulating those of the vessel, prior to actual in-vessel operations. In-vessel activities began in early May of 1988 and were completed on April 11, 1989.