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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.
B. K. Kamboj, S. M. Ghiaasiaan, and, S. I. Abdel-Khalik
Nuclear Technology | Volume 100 | Number 3 | December 1992 | Pages 347-360
Technical Paper | Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow | doi.org/10.13182/NT92-A34730
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A phenomenological model is developed for the thermal-hydraulic processes on the secondary side of a once-through steam generator during auxiliary feedwater injection. Based on experimental observations, the flow of auxiliary feedwater in the secondary side is modeled as a turbulent falling film on the tubes, in direct contact with a countercurrent flow of steam, that receives heat from the primary side. Conservation equations for the falling film and steam on the secondary side, and for the primary-side coolant, are derived. Boiling in the falling film, evaporation and/or condensation at the falling film-gas interphase, and countercurrent flow limitation in the tube support plate passages are modeled. Numerical solution of the conservation equations provide the axial variation of flow rates and temperatures in the primary and secondary sides. Model predictions are successfully compared with the available experimental data.