ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2026
Nuclear Technology
August 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
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.
Zhendong Liu, Raymond S. Dickson, Lawrence W. Dickson, Zoran Bilanovic, David S. Cox
Nuclear Technology | Volume 131 | Number 1 | July 2000 | Pages 22-35
Technical Paper | Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT00-A3102
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A direct-electric-heating (DEH) apparatus was developed to heat Zircaloy-sheathed irradiated fuel samples. The apparatus was used in the temperature gradient 1 (TG1) experiment to measure fission product releases from Zircaloy-sheathed irradiated Canada deuterium uranium (CANDU) UO2 fuel samples during fast temperature ramps in the presence of a radial temperature gradient in the fuel. The ohmic heating of the UO2, combined with surface heat removal by the surrounding helium coolant flow, produced a radial temperature profile that approximates the profile for fission- or decay-heated fuel.The 11 tests conducted in the TG1 experiment simulated various transient heating rates and high-temperature annealing conditions. The results indicate that the DEH technique can produce large radial temperature gradients and rapid heating rates. Ceramographic examinations showed columnar grain growth and evidence of UO2 melting. Chemical interactions between the tungsten electrodes and the UO2 were also observed. Releases of krypton, and release and redistribution of cesium were measured. Fission product release and redistribution results from some of the tests are also reported.The Kr measurements indicated that the amount of Kr released was highly dependent upon the peak dwell power: The higher the dwell power, the higher the cumulative release. The redistribution of cesium was mapped using emission gamma radiography of the fuel specimen after the test. Cesium was released from the center of the fuel sample where temperatures were the highest. A well-defined area was confirmed near the center where the Cs activity was depleted. The measured Kr releases were in good agreement with the Cs migration and release.
