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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.
Igor Slessarev, G. Palmiotti, M. Salvatores, V. Berthou
Nuclear Technology | Volume 146 | Number 3 | June 2004 | Pages 230-243
Technical Paper | Fuel Cycle and Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT04-A3502
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A new fuel cycle concept - waste-free, intrinsically safe, and efficient (WISE) - based on a "clean" nuclear plant using mobile fuel (MF) is proposed. WISE does not perturb the radiological equilibrium by minimizing transuranium and long-lived-fission product wastes. The main characteristic of WISE is the use of MF systems and of a feed-and-bleed fuel cycle strategy. Irradiated fuel together with fission products always remains inside a WISE core. This implies no release of waste until fuel reserves are available. After the fuel reserves are exhausted, an on-line reprocessing technology can be applied in order to minimize waste.