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.
Borut Mavko, Iztok Parzer, Stojan Petelin
Nuclear Technology | Volume 105 | Number 2 | February 1994 | Pages 231-252
Technical Paper | Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow | doi.org/10.13182/NT94-A34925
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A way of modeling the PMK-NVH integral test facility with RELAP5 thermal-hydraulic code is presented. Two code versions, MOD2/36.05 and MOD3 5m5, are compared and assessed. Modeling is demonstrated for the International Atomic Energy Agency standard problem exercise no. 2, a small-break loss-of-coolant acident, performed on the PMK-NVH integral test facility. Three parametric studies of the break vicinity modeling are outlined, testing different ways of connecting the cold leg and hydroaccumulator to the downcomer and determining proper energy loss discharge coefficients at the break. Further, the nodalization study compares four different RELAP5 models, varying from a detailed one with more than 100 nodes, down to the miniature one, with only ∼30 nodes. Modeling of some VVER-440 features, such as horizontal steam generators and hot-leg loop seal, is discussed.