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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.
Myung-Sub Roh, Se-Woo Cheon, Soon-Heung Chang
Nuclear Technology | Volume 94 | Number 2 | May 1991 | Pages 270-278
Technical Paper | Advances in Reactor Accident Consequence Assessment / Reactor Operation | doi.org/10.13182/NT91-A34548
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An artificial neural network—a data processing system with a number of simple highly interconnected processing elements in an architecture inspired by the structure of the human brain—is proposed for the prediction of thermal power in nuclear power plants (NPPs). The back-propagation network (BPN) algorithm is applied to develop models of signal processing. A number of case studies are performed with emphasis on the applicability of the network in a steady-state high power level. The studies reveal that the BPN algorithm can precisely predict the thermal power of an NPP. It also shows that the defected signals resulting from instrumentation problems, even when the signals comprising various patterns are noisy or incomplete, can be properly handled.