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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.
Joachim Ehrhardt, Klaus Burkart, Friedmar Fischer, Irmgard Hasemann, Hans-Jürgen Panitz, Claudia Steinhauer
Nuclear Technology | Volume 94 | Number 2 | May 1991 | Pages 177-195
Technical Paper | Advances in Reactor Accident Consequence Assessment / Nuclear Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT91-A34540
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The UFOMOD program system is an advanced probabilistic accident consequence assessment (ACA) code. Its structure and modeling are based on the experience gained from applications of the old UFOMOD code during and after the German Risk Study Phase A, the results of scientific investigations performed within Phase B, the ongoing Commission of the European Communities Methods for Assessing the Radiological Impact of Accidents project, and the requirements resulting from the extended use of ACA codes to help in decision making. The structure of the program system and essential characteristics of important submodules are described. Selected results of recent investigations illustrate the flexibility and broad applicability of the new UFOMOD code.