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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.
Ulrich Grundmann, Sören Kliem
Nuclear Technology | Volume 142 | Number 2 | May 2003 | Pages 146-153
Technical Paper | OECD/NRC MSLB Benchmark | doi.org/10.13182/NT03-A3380
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Main Steam Line Break (MSLB) Benchmark was defined to validate the thermal-hydraulic system codes coupled with three-dimensional (3-D) neutron kinetic codes. The reference problem is an MSLB in a pressurized water reactor at end of cycle. The analyses were performed with the 3-D core model DYN3D, the thermal-hydraulic system code ATHLET, and the coupled code DYN3D/ATHLET. The results of the DYN3D and ATHLET simulations based on the specification are compared with the results of other participants in the final OECD reports. The effect of the thermal-hydraulic nodalization of the core, i.e., the number of coolant channels, and the influence of the coolant mixing inside the pressure vessel are studied in the paper. Calculations with a reduced number of coolant channels are performed often in coupled calculations for saving computational time. Results of a 25-channel model were compared with the 177-channel calculation (1 channel per assembly). The results for global parameters like nuclear power show only small differences for the two models; however, the prediction of local parameters such as maximum fuel temperatures requires a detailed thermal-hydraulic modeling. The effect of different coolant mixing within the reactor pressure vessel is investigated. It is shown that the influence of coolant mixing mitigates the accident consequences when 3-D neutron kinetics is applied. In case of point kinetics, coolant mixing leads to an opposite effect. To profit from the 3-D core model, a realistic description of the coolant mixing in the coupled codes is a topic of further investigations.