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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.
Jean-Michel Veteau, Albert Digonnet, Roger Deruaz
Nuclear Technology | Volume 107 | Number 1 | July 1994 | Pages 63-71
Technical Paper | Special on ANP ’92 Conference / Nuclear Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT94-A34998
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Results regarding analytical bottom reflooding experiments in a 37- and a 127-heater rod bundle are presented for two different tight lattices. A comparison between these two geometries and with the standard pressurized water reactor (PWR) array shows a degradation of cooling efficiency when the cross section of the subchannels is decreased. The core heat sinks (guide thimbles and “water tubes”) are seen to have a noticeable influence on the overall cooling of the bundle, and it is confirmed that a combined top/bottom injection does not significantly improve cooling efficiency. Calculations with CATHARE 1.3 code adjusted for the standard PWR array are presented (zero heat sinks), but results have to be confirmed over a wider range of parameters.
