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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.
Thomas K. S. Liang, Richard R. Schultz
Nuclear Technology | Volume 133 | Number 3 | March 2001 | Pages 355-358
Technical Note | Thermal Hydraulics | doi.org/10.13182/NT01-A3180
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In light water reactors, particularly the pressurized water reactors, the severity of loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCAs) will limit how high the reactor power can extend. Although the best-estimate LOCA methodology can provide the greatest margin on the peak cladding temperature (PCT) evaluation during LOCA, it will take many more resources to develop and to get final approval from the licensing authority. Instead, implementation of evaluation models required by Appendix K of the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 10, Part 50 (10 CFR 50), upon an advanced thermal-hydraulic platform can also gain significant margin on the PCT calculation. A program to modify RELAP5-3D in accordance with Appendix K of 10 CFR 50 was launched by the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Taiwan, and it consists of six sequential phases of work. The compliance of the current RELAP5-3D with Appendix K of 10 CFR 50 has been evaluated, and it was found that there are 11 areas where the code modifications are required to satisfy the requirements set forth in Appendix K of 10 CFR 50. To verify and assess the development of the Appendix K version of RELAP5-3D, nine kinds of separate-effect experiments and six sets of integral-effect experiments will be adopted. Through the assessments program, all the model changes will be verified.