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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.
W. H. Amarasooriya, Hongfei Yan, Umesh Ratnam,†, Theo G. Theofanous
Nuclear Technology | Volume 101 | Number 3 | March 1993 | Pages 354-384
Technical Paper | Severe Accident Technology / Nuclear Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT93-A34794
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This is the third part of a three-part series of papers addressing the probability of liner failure in a Mark-I containment. The purpose is to quantify the corium/concrete interactions and liner attack phenomena in a form suitable for use in the probabilistic framework as discussed in the first part of this series. In the quantifications of corium/concrete interactions, the principal parameter of interest is the melt superheat transient, especially as it is affected by the oxidation of the metallic components in the melt. A computer code specifically developed for this purpose is also described and compared with available experimental data. In the quantification of the liner attack phenomena, the principal parameters are melt-to-liner heat transfer coefficient and liner failure criteria. The assessment of the heat transfer coefficient is based on experiments that simulate the melt-to-liner contact (recirculating) flow regime, which were specifically run for this purpose. The consideration of liner failure criteria includes finite element analyses addressing the potential for structural failure (due to loss of strength in high-temperature steel) in addition to straightforward failure by melting. The two-dimensional and transient aspects of the heat transfer problem, including solid-liquid phase change at the melt-liner interface, are shown to be important, and the quantification is carried out by means of an analysis tool specifically developed for this purpose.