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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.
H. V. Kok, T. H. J. J. Van der Hagen
Nuclear Technology | Volume 128 | Number 1 | October 1999 | Pages 1-11
Technical Paper | Fission Reactors | doi.org/10.13182/NT99-A3009
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The design and implementation of a simulated void-reactivity feedback in an experimental thermal-hydraulic loop meant for boiling water reactor (BWR)-dynamics studies is described. The void fraction in the loop is measured in real time and used as an input to a simulation that calculates the effect of void-reactivity on the reactor power. The resulting signals are used to control the power supplies of the loop. Advantages of this hybrid system in the study of BWR dynamics is that the complicated transfer functions related to two-phase flow are realized physically, while the relatively simple transfer functions related to the neutronics are simulated.