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August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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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.
Pin-Wu Kao, Jing-Tong Yang, Chian-Yeh Ho, Cheng-Hsien Chou, Ruey-Chang Huang, and, Ta-Chieh Sun
Nuclear Technology | Volume 99 | Number 2 | August 1992 | Pages 222-234
Technical Paper | Nuclear Fuel Cycle | doi.org/10.13182/NT92-A34692
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Power reactor benchmark calculations using the advanced code package CASMO-3 /SIMULATE-3 with new models have been performed for nine cycles of Chinshan Unit 1 and six cycles of Kuosheng Unit 1. The fuel reload designs include gadolinia as a burnable absorber, natural uranium axial blankets, and fuel from different vendors. The calculated results for cold critical tests and traversing in-core probe (TIP) responses are compared with measured data. These comparisons show that the new modeling accurately predicts important physics parameters for power reactors, and it is more accurate than the conventional model. However, more studies of the TIP adaption model are needed in order to gain more experience for its application.