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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.
Gregory J. Van Tuyle, Gregory C. Slovik, Robert J. Kennett, Bing C. Chan, Arnold L. Aronson
Nuclear Technology | Volume 91 | Number 2 | August 1990 | Pages 165-184
Technical Paper | Safety of Next Generation Power Reactor / Nuclear Saftey | doi.org/10.13182/NT90-A34426
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Analytical results from an independent evaluation of the so-called “inherent reactor shutdown” mechanism in the proposed Power Reactor Inherently Safe Module (PRISM) advanced liquid-metal reactor design are discussed. Inherent reactor shutdown, in this context, refers to the tendency of the metal fuel reactor to inherently transition to a low power level when the reactor overheats significantly. Such behavior was demonstrated at the small Experimental Breeder Reactor II in 1986, but extrapolation to the proposed PRISM design concept requires extensive computer calculations. Analyses by Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) tend to confirm calculations submitted by General Electric (GE) and the Argonne National Laboratory staff providing technical expertise to GE on the metal fuel. The BNL calculations also indicate some problem areas, particularly with respect to very low probability events that could lead to sodium voiding.