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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.
Masato Takahashi
Nuclear Technology | Volume 135 | Number 3 | September 2001 | Pages 230-240
Technical Paper | Fuel Cycle and Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT01-A3218
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A new method for off-gas source estimation in plants with nondefective fuel is proposed. This method based on the activity ratio between 138Xe and 88Kr is able to directly estimate the off-gas source using only measurement data. The 138Xe to 88Kr activity ratio is decided on the basis of the fissile irradiation with the different neutron spectrum in the core region and the fission fragment emission rate into coolant. This method was applied to actual plant data, and it was demonstrated that the dominant source of off-gas in a plant with nondefective fuel is Pu produced by the burnup of uranium impurities in the core structure. The concentration of uranium impurities in cladding estimated by this method is consistent with the result of neutron activation analysis.
