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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.
August W. Cronenberg
Nuclear Technology | Volume 97 | Number 1 | January 1992 | Pages 97-112
Technical Paper | Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT92-A34629
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Zircaloy oxidation and hydrogen generation data for the loss-of-fluid test (LOFT) FP-2 test are presented and compared with findings from other severe fuel damage experiments. In the LOFT FP-2 test, the majority of hydrogen generation occurred as a consequence of bundle reflooding, where significant hydrogen production was also noted in other reflood experiments and in the Three Mile Island Unit 2 accident. Common findings also indicate that during fuel uncovery, bundle oxidation is largely controlled by steam supply conditions, that high rates of hydrogen production continue after melt formation and relocation, and that partial flow-area blockages do not drastically reduce the rates of hydrogen production. Tests results thus indicate no apparent limitations to Zircaloy oxidation other than that due to steam supply conditions and known reaction kinetics, and that the potential for significant hydrogen generation exists during reflooding of cores containing molten metallic debris.