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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.
Shih-Hai Li, Chun-Ping Jen
Nuclear Technology | Volume 133 | Number 2 | February 2001 | Pages 253-263
Technical Paper | Radioactive Waste Management and Disposal | doi.org/10.13182/NT01-A3173
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The role of colloids in the migration of radionuclides in the geosphere has been emphasized in the performance assessment of high-level radioactive waste disposal. The literature indicates that the colloid velocity may not be equal to the velocity of groundwater owing to hydrodynamic chromatography. A theoretical model for hydrodynamic chromatography of colloid migration in the fracture is proposed in the present work. In this model, the colloids are treated as nonreactive and the external forces acting on colloidal particles are considered including the inertial force, the van der Waals attractive force, and the electrical double-layer repulsive force, as well as the gravitational force. A fully developed concentration profile for colloids is obtained to elucidate migration behavior for colloids in the fracture. The effects of parameters governing these forces and the aperture of the fracture are determined using a theoretical model.