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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.
Shih-Jen Wang, Chun-Sheng Chien, Shih-Hsiin Chang, Suh-Chyn Jeng
Nuclear Technology | Volume 106 | Number 3 | June 1994 | Pages 397-406
Technical Paper | Reactor Control | doi.org/10.13182/NT94-A34969
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Based on the boiling water reactor plant analyzer of Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Chinshan plant analyzer of Taiwan Power Company, the Kuosheng plant analyzer was developed for the Kuosheng nuclear power station. This work verifies the feedwater system models with a downcomer level setpoint change transient. A transient induced by a step change in the downcomer level setpoint is simulated with the Kuosheng plant analyzer and is compared with test data. Discrepancies are found in the response of the feedwater system. Mathematical models of the feedwater system are revised, and the associated key parameters are identified from plant data with the simplex search method. After revision, the predicted results show good agreement with the test data.