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.
Tanju Sofu, John M. Kramer, James E. Cahalan
Nuclear Technology | Volume 113 | Number 3 | March 1996 | Pages 268-279
Technical Paper | Fission Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT96-A35207
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The metalfuel version of the FPIN2 fuel element mechanics model has been incorporated into the SASSYS/SAS4A code system. In this implementation, SASSYS/SAS4A provides the fuel and cladding temperatures, and FPIN2 performs the analysis of fuel and cladding deformation. The FPIN2 results aid in the understanding of accident progression by providing the estimates of the axial expansion of fuel, time and location of cladding failure, and the condition of the fuel at the time of failure. The validation of the integrated SASSYS/SAS4A-FPIN2 model has been performed using the data from in-reactor TREAT tests for the prototypic binary and ternary fuels of the Integral Fast Reactor concept. The integrated model calculations are compared with available experimental data for the six fuel elements in these tests, and good agreement is obtained for the key parameters related to transient behavior of the metallic fast reactor fuel elements.