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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.
Derek H. Lister, Gopala Venkateswaran, Norman Arbeau
Nuclear Technology | Volume 140 | Number 3 | December 2002 | Pages 288-302
Technical Paper | Nuclear Plant Operations and Control | doi.org/10.13182/NT02-A3340
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In water-cooled reactors measures to minimize the radiation fields due to the transport and deposition of 60Co are important to ensure low occupational doses of radiation. For example, it is now accepted practice to add zinc to boiling water reactor coolant to minimize 60Co transport and pickup by surfaces. This paper describes a study of the kinetics of 60Co deposition on Type 316 stainless steel in neutral, partially deoxygenated water at 563 K and 10.2 MPa with and without zinc traced with 65Zn. The effect of zinc addition on the corrosion rate of preoxidized stainless steel was also studied using relatively high concentrations of additive. General observations and a mathematical model of the corrosion rate provide insights into the possible mechanisms involved.
