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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.
Hisashi Nakamura, Toshimasa Narazaki, Satoshi Yanagihara
Nuclear Technology | Volume 86 | Number 2 | August 1989 | Pages 168-178
Technical Paper | Decontamination and Decommissioning / Radioactive Waste Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT89-A34267
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The decommissioning program of the Japan Power Demonstration Reactor (JPDR) is under way. For the purpose of dismantling the biological shield of the JPDR, a diamond sawing and coring technique and an abrasive-water jet cutting technique have been developed. In the technical development, the influence of various factors on the cutting performance and the characteristics of secondary products were investigated. As a result, remote cutting systems that incorporated these techniques were fabricated for the dismantlement of the highly activated region of the biological shield.
