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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.
H. Disbudak, I. Uslu, A. Y. Bilgesu, G. Gündüz
Nuclear Technology | Volume 135 | Number 3 | September 2001 | Pages 286-294
Technical Paper | Materials for Nuclear Systems | doi.org/10.13182/NT01-A3223
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Pure uranium dioxide and uranium dioxide-gadolinium oxide (5 and 10%) fuels used in this study were prepared by the solution-gelation (sol-gel) technique. The fuels were then coated with boron carbide by chemical vapor deposition. Boron carbide was produced from the reaction of carbon tetrachloride and boron trichloride with excess hydrogen, in a tube furnace at 1000, 1100, and 1175°C. The Fourier transform infrared data of boron carbide deposited on a silica glass were in agreement with the ones in the literature. The experiments showed that the composition of the coating changed with deposition temperature. There was boron-rich coating at low-temperature deposition, and carbon-rich coating at high-temperature deposition. The morphology and the thickness of the coating have been investigated by using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy.