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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.
Allen L. Pitner, Brent C. Gneiting, Ronald B. Baker, Samuel L. Hecht
Nuclear Technology | Volume 105 | Number 3 | March 1994 | Pages 355-365
Technical Paper | Nuclear Fuel Cycle | doi.org/10.13182/NT94-A34936
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Four prototype irradiation tests were conducted in the Fast Flux Test Facility to investigate the performance of a 2-yr mixed-oxide fuel system using titaniumstabilized stainless steel cladding and duct material for application in a commercial-scale liquid-metal reactor plant. Three of the tests were irradiated to the point of cladding breach to establish the lifetime capability of this fuel design. Details of the fuel element design, irradiation conditions and exposures, and postirradiation measurements are presented. Comparisons between measured and calculated behavior showed basically good agreement. A conservative failure analysis of the 676-fuel-pin data set from the four test assemblies indicated a 99.9% reliability for a peak burnup capability of 90 MW .d/kg metal.