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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.
Josée Perfettini
Nuclear Technology | Volume 115 | Number 2 | August 1996 | Pages 153-161
Technical Paper | Characterization of Radioactive Waste in France / Radioactive Waste Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT96-A35261
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A neutronic method based on neutron thermalization by hydrogen nuclei is used to measure the moisture content in packages of radioactive waste embedded in hydraulic binders. The two steps of the measurement are (a) acquisition of the neutron characteristics of the embedded waste considered (or of a chemically similar material) and (b) the measurement itself obtained with a neutron moisture meter. The neutron characteristics required are the adsorption and diffusion cross sections ∑a and ∑d for thermal neutrons of the dried material. These two parameters are used to calculate the calibration curve (valid only for the material considered) as follows:N = (α·Ds + β)Hυ + γ·Ds + δ,which allows the counting N of the neutron moisture meter to be converted into free-water content Hv (α, β, γ, and δ are deduced from ∑a and ∑d; Ds is the dry density of the material). The neutron moisture meter (containing a fast neutron source and a thermalized neutron detector) is portable. Measurements are taken at various depths in a core hole made in the package to draw a water profile. The measurements are taken in materials used for waste solidification and in active or inactive packages. The results obtained (free-water content) are in good agreement with those obtained by determining the weight loss at 120°C (the differences between these two measurements are generally ∼10% when the free-water content is ∼20 to 25 %). The water profiles allow one to detect the presence of excessive free water.