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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.
Qing Biao Shen
Nuclear Technology | Volume 132 | Number 1 | October 2000 | Pages 61-65
Technical Paper | Accelerator Applications | doi.org/10.13182/NT00-A3129
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A white light neutron source can be produced if a thick target is bombarded by an intense proton beam of 70 MeV. With metal tungsten as a target material, the calculations are made by using the SPEC and DDCS programs. The calculated results show that the reactions occur for 4.6% of incident 70-MeV protons before stopping in a thick W target. The total neutron intensity produced by a 70-MeV and 200-A proton beam is 1.01 × 1014/s. The average neutron energy is 4.19 MeV. The neutron intensity >10 MeV is 1.15 × 1013/s, of which most is emitted in the forward small-angle region. This kind of white light neutron source is very useful in practice.
