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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.
Raymond P. Siu
Nuclear Technology | Volume 93 | Number 3 | March 1991 | Pages 350-356
Technical Paper | Nuclear Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT91-A34528
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Control room habitability during severe accidents is assessed. The potential levels of radiation hazards to control room personnel are evaluated in terms of magnitude and occurrence probability. The cumulative probability distributions of control room doses, and the expected values for the probabilities of exceeding appropriate dose limits, are determined. The control room types analyzed include designs with filtered local intakes only, filtered recirculation only, filtered local intakes with recirculation, and filtered dual remote intakes with recirculation.