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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.
Yue Guan, Fei Li, Mohammad Modarres, David Bessette, Marino Dimarzo
Nuclear Technology | Volume 133 | Number 3 | March 2001 | Pages 269-289
Technical Paper | Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT01-A3174
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This paper presents an application of a thermal-hydraulic and probabilistic assessment (TH-PA) method to the Westinghouse Advanced Passive 600-MW(electric) (AP600) design. The Westinghouse probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) was used for screening probabilistically important scenarios only. Corresponding integrated-behavior-logic diagrams (IBLDs) were constructed, and accident trajectories were developed. Small cold-leg break accidents and direct vessel injection line break accidents were analyzed. Scenarios in which TH phenomena may play a major role, and which have the highest frequency of core uncovery and heatup were identified. Important insights were obtained. Application of this method to the AP600 has shown its value in prioritizing safety issues. Its application to the AP600 has been further ensured by (a) relying on the Westinghouse PRA to model functional/logical relationships of the components/systems, (b) using a peer review approach to validate the most important IBLDs, and (c) comparing accident trajectories with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission-sponsored AP600 experimental results. While this application has demonstrated effectiveness of the method in accident scenario screening for the AP600, the TH-PA method has broader potential.