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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.
Mohamed S. El-Genk, Cheng Gao
Nuclear Technology | Volume 114 | Number 3 | June 1996 | Pages 351-364
Technical Paper | Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow | doi.org/10.13182/NT96-A35239
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Quenching experiments were performed to investigate the effects of radius of curvature and edge angle on pool boiling from downward-facing surfaces in saturated water. The experiments employed two, 20-mm-thick copper test sections that had the same diameter (75 mm) but different surface radii (148 and 218.5 mm) and vapor release (or edge) angles (14.68 and 9.88 deg). The effect of surface area on pool boiling was determined by comparing the present results with the results for a copper section that was of the same thickness but had a surface radius of 148 mm and was less than one-half the surface area. The maximum heat flux (qMHF) was highest at the lowermost position and decreased with increased local inclination on the surface. Both local and surface average qMHF were representative of quasi-steady-state critical heat flux. The high edge angle reduced vapor accumulation, which enhanced surface coolability and shortened its quenching time. For an edge angle of 9.88 deg, increasing the surface area (or surface radius) insignificantly affected the local qMHF near the edge of the copper section but lowered it everywhere else by ∼10%. For the same surface area, the larger edge angle (or smaller surface radius) increased qMHF by as much as 40%.