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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.
Fatma Yilmaz, Yassin A. Hassan, Douglas L. Porter, Oleg Romanenko
Nuclear Technology | Volume 144 | Number 3 | December 2003 | Pages 369-378
Technical Paper | Materials for Nuclear Systems | doi.org/10.13182/NT03-A3451
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Material property data concerning the structural materials of EBR-II and BN350 have been compiled. The swelling formulations developed for Russian and American austenitic steels before reaching steady-state conditions are compared, and possible applications of the formulation for Russian steels to some compositionally similar American steels are discussed. The effects of slight composition and metallurgical condition differences on swelling can be used to explain the possible differences between the American steel data and the predictions for the corresponding Russian steel.Ultimate tensile strength and total elongation changes in Russian austenitic steels are correlated with swelling over a large swelling range (0 to 15%) and reveals total loss of ductility and strength as the amount of swelling reaches high values.Since austenitic steel is the main structural material of fast and light water reactors (LWRs) these findings can be applied to the LWR systems considering exposure temperature, dose rate, and neutron energy spectrum differences.