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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.
Jungsook Clara Wren, Glenn A. Glowa
Nuclear Technology | Volume 133 | Number 1 | January 2001 | Pages 33-49
Technical Paper | Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT01-A3157
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Previous experimental work led to the development of a kinetic model that can be used to quantify iodine sorption behavior on a stainless steel surface. The kinetic model, based on the mechanism proposed in earlier work, consists of four chemical reactions. The model has reproduced the time-dependent adsorbed iodine concentration data on the coupons observed under various atmospheric conditions and different cycles of loading and purging. The iodine adsorption kinetics were then incorporated into a mass transport equation to simulate iodine sorption behavior from a flowing air stream through a length of stainless steel tubing. Discussed are the model, the simulation results, and their implications regarding the calibration of iodine transmission through long stainless steel sampling lines used for radiological monitoring of airborne iodine in a reactor containment building following an accident.