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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.
Lei Shi, Haibin Liu, Xiaojing Yang, Zuying Gao, Yujie Dong, Zuoyi Zhang
Nuclear Technology | Volume 145 | Number 2 | February 2004 | Pages 189-203
Technical Paper | Nuclear Plant Operations and Control | doi.org/10.13182/NT04-A3469
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A personal computer-based simulation-and-control-integrated platform for the 10-MW high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTR-10), HTRSIMU, has been developed by the Institute of Nuclear Energy Technology (INET) of Tsinghua University in China to meet the requirements of safety analysis, operator training, and control system design. The HTRSIMU runs on a personal computer Windows2000 operating system and consists of three parts: simulation computing system (SCS), man/machine interface (MMI) system, and control system design platform (CDP). Simulation models and equations of the SCS are given, including models of the reactor core, the fuel ball, the primary loop, and the steam generator. Furthermore, functions and characteristics of the MMI and CDP are also described in detail. Moreover, steady state, several typical accidents, and a power control process of HTR-10 are simulated by using the HTRSIMU to demonstrate its simulation and control system design capability.
