ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2026
Nuclear Technology
August 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
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.
Yassin A. Hassan, Sibashis S. Banerjee
Nuclear Technology | Volume 108 | Number 2 | November 1994 | Pages 191-206
Technical Paper | Nuclear Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT94-A35030
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A simulation of the loss of residual heat removal (RHR) system during midloop operations was performed using the RELAP5/MOD3 thermal-hydraulic code. The experiment was conducted at the Rig of Safety Assessment (ROSA)-IV/Large-Scale Test Facility. The experiment involved a 5% cold-leg break along with the loss of the RHR system. The transient was simulated for 3040 s. Core boiling and subsequent primary system pressurization occurred after the initiation of the transient. There was a good agreement between the measured and the calculated data until the loop seal clearing (LSC). It was found that the steam condensation was underpredicted in the calculations. This caused the calculated data after the LSC to differ from that of the measured data. The core rod surface temperature excursion around the occurrence of the LSC was not calculated. Overall, there was good qualitative agreement between the measured and the calculated data. The calculations, performed on the CRAY-YMP supercomputer, took over 60 h of CPU time for a transient of 51 min.