ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2026
Nuclear Technology
August 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
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.
Sandor Benedek
Nuclear Technology | Volume 105 | Number 2 | February 1994 | Pages 201-215
Technical Paper | Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow | doi.org/10.13182/NT94-A34923
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
General scaling laws for transient two-fluid flow heated by a rod are presented. The similarity of these processes can be ensured only by applying the same volume and time scale with identical model parameters. In practice, the requirement of similar interfacial friction terms cannot be fulfilled because of volume (diameter) reducing scale. Numerical examples show remarkable deviations between the state variables (the values of slip) of the prototype and those of the scaled model, especially with unsteady flow rates. The deviation becomes significant when the slip of phase velocities exceeds the range of 1.6 to 1.8. Volume and time scaling can be carried out only if the phase velocities are similar (slip equal to ∼1 in the quasi-homogeneous flow model). Maintenance of the similarity of heat transfer processes of a heated fuel rod may necessitate time scaling. Furthermore, numerical examples are presented for a scale model of a prototype pressurized water reactor, employing the time-scaled homogeneous flow model.