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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.
Erhard A. Fischer
Nuclear Technology | Volume 98 | Number 1 | April 1992 | Pages 100-112
Technical Paper | Fast Reactor Safety / Nuclear Fuel Cycle | doi.org/10.13182/NT92-A34654
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A bubble dynamics and mass transfer model GASBUB is presented that describes the pressure buildup in irradiated fuel above the melting point during energetic transients. The model describes the evaporation of fuel into pure vapor bubbles and into fission gasfilled bubbles. It is tested against the effective equation of state (EEOS) experiments jointly carried out by Sandia National Laboratories and Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe. In these experiments, fuel samples are heated up to ∼8000K. The model provides a basis for constructing an EEOS for irradiated fuel.
