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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.
Lung Kwang Pan
Nuclear Technology | Volume 124 | Number 3 | December 1998 | Pages 276-283
Technical Paper | Radiation Measurements and Instrumentation | doi.org/10.13182/NT98-A2926
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A feasibility study of gross alpha counting in real environmental samples using the superheated-liquid-droplet (SLD) technique has been carried out. To find an alternative technique as a fast screening for gross alpha counting in environmental samples, various samples acquired from real groundwater and soil were mixed with the SLD emulsion. The intersections of alpha particles with the superheated liquid Freon-12 droplets trigger the vaporization of the droplet and form bubbles. The acoustic wave accompanying the bubble formation can be recorded by a piezoelectric sensor. The number of bubbles recorded represents a measurement of the gross alpha counting. These results are reasonable when compared with those obtained using the conventional methods. However, for practical application, the SLD fabrication and correlated counting process still need to be further modified.