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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.
Gary R. Smolen, Raymond C. Lloyd, Tomozo Koyama
Nuclear Technology | Volume 107 | Number 3 | September 1994 | Pages 326-339
Technical Paper | Nuclear Criticality Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT94-A35011
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Critical experiments were performed at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory-Critical Mass Laboratory from 1985 to 1987 with mixed Pu+U nitrate solutions in annular geometry. The 25.4-cm-diam central region of the annular vessel contained various inserts, such as a bottle containing fissile solution and borated-concrete and cadmium-covered polyethylene annular inserts. The fissile solution concentrations ranged from 47 to 226g Pu/ℓ with Pu/Pu+U ratios of 1.0, 0.5, and 0.2. The criticality data were used to validate two versions of the SCALE computer code system (SCALE-4 and SCALE-2). The analyses were performed with the 27-energy-group cross-section library, derived from the Evaluated Nuclear Data File B-Version IV. Computer models were prepared to accurately simulate all significant materials that would affect the system reactivity. The average calculated keff for the 18 experiments was 1.008 (σ = 0.006) with SCALE-4 and 1.004 (σ = 0.006) with SCALE-2. Overall, the range of calculated keff’s varied from 0.990 to 1.017. The results of the validation calculations indicate that the SCALE computer code system is capable of accurately modeling Pu+U nitrate. solutions in annular geometry.