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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.
Yasuo Suzuki, Shoji Kimura
Nuclear Technology | Volume 103 | Number 1 | July 1993 | Pages 93-100
Technical Paper | Enrichment and Reprocessing System | doi.org/10.13182/NT93-A34832
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A continuous membrane column process that uses a palladium alloy membrane for the separation of hydrogen isotopes is studied. Hydrogen, deuterium, and tritium permeation rates obtained in previous studies are used in numerical calculations in which the nature of the membrane column is investigated through variations in the operation variables, such as the pressures and their ratio, the reflux ratio, and the stripping column velocity. Finally, a cascade design in which membrane columns are used as unit cells is developed, following a design study of a nuclear fusion reactor fuel cycle system, and the concentrations and flow rates are calculated. The results show that hydrogen, deuterium, and tritium can be separated and concentrated as well by this method as by the liquid hydrogen distillation process. The inventory of the membrane column process is also calculated, and it is ∼2.3 times the fuel processed in a day.