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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.
Masayoshi Ishida, Takanari Ogata, Motoyasu Kinoshita
Nuclear Technology | Volume 104 | Number 1 | October 1993 | Pages 37-51
Technical Paper | Nuclear Fuel Cycle | doi.org/10.13182/NT93-A34868
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A model for constituent migration behavior in U-Pu-Zr metallic fast reactor fuel is proposed. It is based on diffusion equations for the ternary system under a radial temperature gradient, and it takes into account the alloy phase decomposition, assuming a quasi-binary U-Zr phase diagram with a constant plutonium content. Parametric simulations of Experimental Breeder Reactor II irradiation data with appropriate transport properties of the alloy system showed that the model can predict the experimentally observed radial three-zone structure and zirconium and uranium redistribution, although the predicted radial location of zirconium-depleted middle zone disagreed with the experimental result. Accumulation of basic experimental data on transport properties and a ternary phase diagram of the system are needed for a better understanding of the behavior.