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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 C. Mailen
Nuclear Technology | Volume 83 | Number 2 | November 1988 | Pages 182-189
Technical Paper | Fuel Cycle | doi.org/10.13182/NT88-A34159
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The degradation products produced in Purex solvent by exposure to nitric acid and radiation can be divided into two groups: those that are removed by scrubbing with sodium carbonate solutions and those that are not; the latter materials are called long-chain degradation products. This paper describes investigations using activated alumina for removal of these long-chain degradation products from first-cycle, Savannah River Plant and Idaho Chemical Processing Plant solvents that had been previously washed with sodium carbonate solution. Activated alumina was found to be very effective for improving the phase separation of the solvent from the sodium carbonate solutions, increasing the interfacial tension, and removing components that complex plutonium. It was less effective for removing anionic surfactants and ruthenium. The capacity of the activated alumina for treating 30% tri-n-butyl phosphate solutions was greatly improved by drying the solvent before treatment.