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August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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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.
Hideo Nakamura, Yasuteru Sibamoto, Yoshinari Anoda, Yutaka Kukita, Kaichiro Mishima, Takashi Hibiki
Nuclear Technology | Volume 125 | Number 2 | February 1999 | Pages 213-224
Technical Paper | Thermal Hydraulics | doi.org/10.13182/NT99-A2943
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
High-frame-rate neutron radiography is used to observe the behavior of a high-temperature (773 K) molten Pb-Bi alloy dropped into a vessel that contains water. Experiments are also performed with an empty vessel. Using high-speed cameras combined with image intensifiers and a high-flux neutron source, the interactions among the molten and solidified alloy with water and steam are visualized at imaging rates of 500 and 125 frames/s. The behavior of the melt and steam bubbles is observed clearly in contrast to water. Observation of AuCd3 tracer particles in the molten metal dropped into the vessel that contains water is also successful. The velocity distribution in the melt is measured successfully by means of particle image velocimetry (PIV) using tracer particles. This visualization technique proves to be a promising tool to observe and measure the rapid and complex phenomena of a metal-gas-liquid mixture.