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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.
Chien-Hsiung Lee, I-Ming Huang, Chin-Jang Chang, Tay-Jian Liu, Yuh-Ming Ferng
Nuclear Technology | Volume 126 | Number 1 | April 1999 | Pages 48-61
Technical Paper | Thermal Hydraulics | doi.org/10.13182/NT99-A2957
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The RELAP5/MOD3.2 code is used at the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research Integral System Test Facility to analyze a 2% cold-leg-break experiment that includes failure of the high-pressure injection system. The assessment code predictions include primary pressure, inventory distribution in the reactor coolant system (RCS), loop flow rate, break flow rate, and core thermal hydraulics. A comparison between the calculated results and the experimental data shows (a) a good match with the predictions of the RCS pressure and hot- and cold-leg fluid temperatures, (b) underprediction of the core and downcomer levels, (c) overprediction of the loop flow rates in single- and two-phase natural circulation, and (d) inadequate prediction of asymmetric coolant holdup in the three steam generators. Also presented are sensitivity studies of choked flow associated with the defaulted values of discharge coefficients in the simulation of the break flow, and of the core bypass area to evaluate the effect of core level depression.