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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.
Fumimasa Araya, Kazuo Yoshida, Masashi Hirano, Yukihisa Yabushita
Nuclear Technology | Volume 93 | Number 1 | January 1991 | Pages 82-91
Technical Paper | Nuclear Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT91-A34520
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
On March 9, 1988, the LaSalle-2 nuclear power plant experienced a neutron flux oscillation under natural circulation. To obtain an in-depth understanding of this event, a series of analytical studies has been performed using the RETRAN code within the scope of a point kinetics model. In previous studies, an instability map was drawn on the plane of the nondimensional power-to-flow ratio and core inlet subcooling, which was essentially the same as that proposed by Ishii and Zuber. The event sequence was simulated by RETRAN, and the locus of the event was drawn on the instability map. The experimental calculations that were performed to validate the method used to determine the instability threshold used in the previous studies are described, as are the calculations of the improved instability map and event simulation.