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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.
Alireza Haghighat, Moussa Mahgerefteh, Bojan G. Petrovic
Nuclear Technology | Volume 109 | Number 1 | January 1995 | Pages 54-75
Technical Paper | Material | doi.org/10.13182/NT95-A35068
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The methodology used to prepare the source for neutron fluence calculation at the reactor pressure vessel is examined, and its effect on the calculated cavity dosimeter reaction rate is evaluated. Different source distributions for the Three Mile Island Unit 1 and Davis-Besse reactors and a simulated low low-leakage loading pattern are analyzed based on different levels of homogenization, different isotopic averaging approaches, contribution of 238U, use of the LEPRICON C factor formulation, and the SAILOR spectrum. Fuel isotopics can significantly affect the source distributions (through the fission spectrum), thereby leading to uncertainties of ∼7% in the calculated cavity dosimetry reaction rates. Higher uncertainties (>10%) are expected due to both the C factor and fission spectrum when the low low-leakage fuel designs are utilized.
