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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.
Shih-Jen Wang, Chun-Sheng Chien, Te-Chuan Wang
Nuclear Technology | Volume 126 | Number 1 | April 1999 | Pages 1-9
Technical Paper | Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT99-A2954
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The MELCOR code, developed by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), is capable of simulating the severe accident phenomena of light water reactor nuclear power plants (NPPs).A specific station blackout accident (TMLB' sequence) for Maanshan NPP is simulated using the MELCOR 1.8.3 code. The MELCOR input deck for Maanshan NPP is established based on Maanshan NPP design data and the MELCOR users' guides. The initial steady-state conditions are generated with a developed self-initialization algorithm. The main severe accident phenomena and the corresponding fission product release fractions associated with the TMLB' sequence were simulated. The sequence of events up to the vessel breach is similar to that in the SNL report simulated with MELCOR 1.8.2. The predicted results provide useful information for the probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) of Maanshan NPP. This tool will be applied to the PRA, the severe accident analysis, and the severe accident management study of Maanshan NPP in the near future.
