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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.
Chien Chung, Cheng-Chang Chan
Nuclear Technology | Volume 110 | Number 1 | April 1995 | Pages 106-114
Fission Reactor | Burnup Credit | doi.org/10.13182/NT95-A35100
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Radioactive 16N and 19O in the Tsing Hua Open-Pool Reactor, produced from 16O(n,p)16N and 18O(n,γ)19O reactions, respectively, have been measured using a rapid sampling device and gamma-ray spectroscopic systems. The radioactivity of the 7-s half-life 16N and 27-s half-life 19O in the pool water are monitored in the power range from 1 W to 1 MW. The three-dimensional concentration of these radionuclides in the water coolant is also contour mapped down to the detection limit of 10 Bq/ℓ. The spatial distribution of the short-lived radionuclides in the reactor pool, resulting from both the neutron flux distribution and heat transfer characteristics external to the core, is discussed for reactor operation at various power levels.
