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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.
Arne Hornaes, John Einar Hulsund, János Végh, Csaba Major, Csaba Horváth, Sándor Lipcsei, György Kapocs
Nuclear Technology | Volume 135 | Number 2 | August 2001 | Pages 123-130
Technical Paper | Nuclear Plant Operations and Control | doi.org/10.13182/NT01-A3210
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An ambitious project to replace the unit information systems (UISs) at the Hungarian Paks nuclear power plant was started in 1998-99. The basic aim of the reconstruction project is to install a modern, distributed UIS architecture on all four Paks VVER-440 units. The new UIS includes an on-line plant safety monitoring and assessment system (PLASMA), which contains a critical safety functions monitoring module and provides extensive operator support during the execution of the new, symptom-oriented emergency operating procedures (EOPs). PLASMA includes a comprehensive EOP visualization module, based on the COPMA-III procedure-handling software developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Halden Reactor Project. Intranet technology is applied for the presentation of the EOPs with the use of a standard hypertext markup language (HTML) browser as a visualization tool. The basic design characteristics of the system, with a detailed description of its user interface and functions of the new EOP display module, are presented.
