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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.
James Bottcher, Shigeharu Ukai, Masaki Inoue
Nuclear Technology | Volume 138 | Number 3 | June 2002 | Pages 238-245
Technical Paper | Fuel Cycle and Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT02-A3291
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steel cladding on mixed-oxide fuel pins offers high-temperature strength and creep rupture resistance properties for a long-life fast reactor. The fabrication and irradiation of the large diameter ODS steel cladding with high-density mixed-oxide pellets were performed at the Argonne National Laboratory Experimental Breeder Reactor II. Two developmental ODS alloys and two fuel-pin designs were used in this study. The tests were continually monitored during irradiation followed by nondestructive and destructive examinations. Both designs were successful and demonstrated the potential of ODS steel as a cladding material.