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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.
Philip N. Baldwin, Jr.
Nuclear Technology | Volume 116 | Number 3 | December 1996 | Pages 366-372
Technical Note | Material | doi.org/10.13182/NT96-A35291
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) is used in metal-cleaning formulations. Usually the form of the EDTA used is the tetra ammonium salt. When these powerful cleaning solutions are used in steam generators, they attract the key metals of interest — iron and copper. A reduction in the volume of these cleaners and EDTA destruction is required to meet waste management and disposal standards. One method of volume reduction is described: concentration by evaporation. Once volume is reduced, the liquid waste can then be further volume reduced and treated for EDTA content through the use of wet oxidation. The effect of this process on the total organic carbon (TOC) in the form of EDTA contained in the copper as well as the iron spent cleaning solutions is reviewed, including regression analysis of selected benchmark and production data. A regressive analysis is made of the relationship between the EDTA and the TOC analyzed in the wet-oxidation batch residuals as well as the summary effects of hydrogen peroxide, sulfuric acid, and reaction time on the percentage of TOC destroyed.