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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.
Theodore H. Bauer, Thomas H. Braid, Karl Schleisiek
Nuclear Technology | Volume 99 | Number 3 | September 1992 | Pages 343-350
Technical Paper | Nuclear Fuel Cycle | doi.org/10.13182/NT92-A34718
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A technique is presented to quantify fuel damage in a liquid-metal reactor through fast-running computer analysis of delayed neutron data, suitable for analysis of both small-scale in-pile experiments and full-scale plants. Validating analyses are described for five in-pile severe accident simulations performed within the Sodium Loop Safety Facility and Mol-7C test programs. Comparison is made of measured and calculated amounts of fuel damage.
