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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.
Okan H. Zabunoglu, Bernard I. Spinrad
Nuclear Technology | Volume 93 | Number 3 | March 1991 | Pages 376-381
Technical Paper | Enrichment and Reprocessing System | doi.org/10.13182/NT91-A34531
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A flow sheet for simplified reprocessing of long cooled light water reactor (LWR) fuel is presented. The standard Purex process is modified so that after the first solvent extraction cascade (co-decontamination), plutonium is washed out of the organic phase without reduction. This step also washes out enough uranium that the U-Pu product can be directly used as LWR fuel. A finish partitioning step, with plutonium reduction, decontaminates the remaining uranium product. Neither the U-Pu product nor the uranium product requires further purification, process yields are excellent, and plant equipment can be simplified.