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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.
Hiroshi Sugai, Kenzo Munakata, Shigehiko Miyachi, Shouzo Yasu
Nuclear Technology | Volume 98 | Number 2 | May 1992 | Pages 188-195
Technical Paper | Enrichment and Reprocessing System | doi.org/10.13182/NT92-A34674
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In the Purex process, a solvent extraction method of nuclear fuel reprocessing, a stable emulsion called crud forms at the interface between the oil and water phases. Crud is an emulsion stabilized by finely dispersed solids. Insoluble residues and precipitates of zirconium and radiation-degraded products of tributyl phosphate (TBP) are key materials in crud formation. Cruds formed by precipitates of zirconium and TBP degradation products, such as di-n-butyl phosphate (HDBP), mono-n-butyl phosphate (H2MBP), and phosphoric acid (H3PO4) are studied. Experimental results show that the precipitate of zirconium and HDBP is not effective in stabilizing emulsions. However, the refractory complex of zirconium and H3PO4 is an important material for stabilizing an oil-in-water emulsion in a solution with or without uranium. Moreover, it is shown that the complex of zirconium and H2MBP has a significant role in stabilizing a water-in-oil emulsion, especially when uranium is also present.
