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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.
John F. Geldard, Adolph L. Beyerlein
Nuclear Technology | Volume 85 | Number 2 | May 1989 | Pages 172-186
Technical Paper | Chemical Processing | doi.org/10.13182/NT89-A34239
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The mathematical basis for a computer code CUSEP (Clemson University Solvent Extraction Program) is described. The code simulates the temporal and steady-state concentration profiles in pulsed column contactors using the Purex process. Advantage is taken of the cellular structure of a pulsed column contactor caused by the presence of sieve plates and the turbulent flow to generate a set of equations that explicitly contain the instantaneous flow of the fluids caused by the pulse frequency and amplitude. The assumption is made that there are volumes in the contactors within which the time-averaged concentrations can be regarded as uniform. The size of these volumes is defined in terms of a parameter whose value is obtained by calibration against experimental data. Longitudinal diffusive remixing is shown to be negligible in comparison to convective remixing caused by the pulsing. Mass transfer between phases can occur at the equilibrium limit or can be allowed to deviate from it. The deviation is accounted for by a mass transfer area that is determined by the average size of droplets in the pulsed column and a mass transfer coefficient that is treated as a second input parameter. The code has been used to generate concentration profiles in several extraction (A-type) and stripping (E-type) contactors and in a partitioning (B-type) contactor. Agreement between calculated and available experimental concentration profiles is good.