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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.
James T. Cronin, Kord S. Smith
Nuclear Technology | Volume 100 | Number 2 | November 1992 | Pages 174-183
Technical Paper | Nuclear Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT92-A34740
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A methodology for homogenization and functionalization of one-dimensional cross sections for RETRAN has been developed and encoded into the SIMULATES and SLICK computer programs. The method relies on the SIMULATE-3 nodal reactor analysis code to provide accurate solutions of the three-dimensional neutron diffusion equation in two energy groups. The process of producing the required data involves two distinct problems: (a) the spatial homogenization of the three-dimensional cross sections and diffusion coefficients into one-dimensional variables and (b) the functionalization of the one-dimensional data in terms of the feedback variables of coolant density, fuel temperature, and control fraction. The homogenization method is based on equivalence theory and preserves the eigenvalue and one-dimensional planar reaction rates of the three-dimensional solution. The functionalization of the homogenized cross sections is accomplished by performing analogous one-dimensional state calculations with the RETRAN thermal-hydraulic models and then fitting to the RETRAN feedback variables. The methodology has been verified by comparing the results of one-dimensional calculations performed with the one-dimensional cross sections to three-dimensional calculations. Close agreement between the one- and three-dimensional results has been demonstrated.