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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.
Makoto Ueda, Shigeto Kikuchi, Hironori Kumanomido, Takeshi Seino
Nuclear Technology | Volume 97 | Number 1 | January 1992 | Pages 131-141
Technical Paper | Nuclear Criticality Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT92-A34631
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An active neutron multiplication method is studied in laboratory experiments aiming at establishing and improving nondestructive measurement methods for a spent light water reactor fuel bundle in water. The fuel rods used in the experiments consist of 1.0-cm-diam UO2 pellets enriched to 1 to 3 wt% 235U, clad in 1.18-cm-o.d. aluminum tubes. The rods are arranged in square arrays spaced to form a 1.52-cm lattice. The analysis is carried out by two- or threedimensional, three-energy-group diffusion calculations. A simple empirical expression for the correlation between the neutron flux and the effective neutron multiplication factor keff is proposed in which a constant term is added to the well-known formula for one-point subcritical flux. The new expression has been found to be applicable to high-precision measurements. Through an experimental study of the correlation between the neutron flux profile and the neutron source response to a detector and studies of the new correlation expression, an improved measurement system is presented that is suitable for more precise measurements of keff.
