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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.
Krishna Vinjamuri, Edgar M. Feldman, Carlan K. Mullen, Robert C. Hill
Nuclear Technology | Volume 85 | Number 1 | April 1989 | Pages 48-56
Technical Paper | Fuel Cycle | doi.org/10.13182/NT89-A34226
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Results of the Dry Rod Consolidation Technology Project performed at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy by EG&G Idaho, Inc. are presented. The technology for dry horizontal consolidation of Westinghouse 15 x 15 pressurized water reactor spent-fuel assemblies was developed and demonstrated. A consolidation ratio of 2 to 1 was achieved. Fuel rods from 48 fuel assemblies were consolidated into 24 consolidation canisters, each having the same outside dimensions as those of the original fuel assembly. Information and data were collected that will contribute to the design and operation of the hardware for a follow-on Prototypical Consolidation Demonstration Project and for the industry at large. The nonfuel-bearing components or skeletons of the fuel assemblies were examined for principal radionuclides.