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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.
Y.-J. Huang, H. Paul Wang, S. H. Liu, M. C. Hsiao
Nuclear Technology | Volume 138 | Number 2 | May 2002 | Pages 206-210
Technical Note | Radioactive Waste Management and Disposal | doi.org/10.13182/NT02-A3288
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Spent low-level radioactive (LLRA) cation ion exchange resins (consisting of base copolymers of styrene and divinyl benzene and sulfonic acid) are difficult to treat effectively by conventional cement-solidification methods. Pyrolysis of the spent LLRA resin has been recognized to be very effective in reducing the volume and mass of the waste. Experimentally, we found by the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) method that the activation energy for the pyrolysis of an LLRA resin was 319.2 kJ/mol. The reaction order and pre-exponential factor were 0.61 and 1.1 × 1020 s-1, respectively. Note that during the pyrolysis, ~50% of the SO42- species in the resin was decomposed to SO2 at 673 to 873 K. At high temperatures (>873 K), most of the aromatics of the resin were also thermally cracked.