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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.
Siegfried Langenbuch, Klaus-Dieter Schmidt, Kiril Velkov
Nuclear Technology | Volume 142 | Number 2 | May 2003 | Pages 124-136
Technical Paper | OECD/NRC MSLB Benchmark | doi.org/10.13182/NT03-A3378
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Pressurized Water Reactor Main Steam Line Break (MSLB) Benchmark has been calculated for all three exercises by the coupled code system ATHLET-QUABOX/CUBBOX developed by Gesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS). The results obtained are presented, and a detailed comparison with other solutions of the benchmark is discussed. An attempt is made to explain the differences observed in the solutions by the different modeling of physical processes in the codes. The sensitivity of results on modeling features is also investigated. In addition, the effect of different mapping schemes between fuel assemblies of the core loading and the thermal-fluid dynamics on the accuracy of three-dimensional (3-D) neutronics solutions is studied. The results for the MSLB transient are also evaluated to compare 3-D neutronics and point-kinetics solutions in view of integral and local parameters. Thus, the experiences with the coupled code system ATHLET-QUABOX/CUBBOX during the MSLB benchmark activity are summarized.
