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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.
A. M. Shahub, M. M. R. Williams
Nuclear Technology | Volume 86 | Number 1 | July 1989 | Pages 80-86
Technical Note | Nuclear Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT89-A34286
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The importance of Brownian and gravitational collision efficiencies in aerosol coagulation is examined through results from the AEROSIM computer code, which models the behavior of nuclear aerosol particles in a closed volume. Viscous, retarded London van der Waals and electrostatic forces are included in the NACE computer program for the calculation of collision efficiency. Results reveal that the minimum ratios of particle concentration with and without calculated collision efficiencies are 0.51 for Brownian coagulation plus sedimentation, 0.01 for gravitational coagulation plus sedimentation, and 0.08 when all the mechanisms are included.