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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.
G. Anand, R. N. Christense
Nuclear Technology | Volume 100 | Number 3 | December 1992 | Pages 287-294
Technical Paper | Fission Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT92-A34725
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An emergency core cooling system incorporating a bistable convection loop (BCL) for current passive liquid-metal-cooled reactors is proposed. The system has two stable operating modes. During the off mode, the system is in a pure conduction mode and transfers very little heat. In the on mode, the system switches to the low-resistance configuration of a closed natural convection loop and transfers significant amounts of heat. The switching occurs passively because of changes in the reactor temperature. Theoretical and experimental analysis shows that a BCL designed to remove 7% of peak reactor power in the on mode loses only 0.0007% in the off mode, yielding a ratio of 10 000:1.
