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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.
Andrey A. Troshko, Yassin A. Hassan
Nuclear Technology | Volume 131 | Number 2 | August 2000 | Pages 228-238
Technical Paper | Thermal Hydraulics | doi.org/10.13182/NT00-A3113
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A simulation of VVER1000/320 operational transients was performed with the CATHARE2 V1.3L computer program. These transients consisted of consecutive shutdowns of two primary side pumps, prior to which, the reactor was under nominal operational condition with 72 and 52% power levels, respectively. The comparison between calculated and measured data indicated that the program was able to qualitatively predict the main phenomena taking place in both the primary and the secondary sides of the plant. The role of pump inertia was studied. It was found that implementation of inertial pump shutdown led to a better agreement with experiment. There was a lack of detailed information on the secondary-side geometry. Thus, it was difficult to conclude whether the quantitative discrepancy between experiment and calculation was due to the physical model or the geometric uncertainty.