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.
Peter Taylor, William H. Hocking,† Lawrence H. Johnson, Roderick J. McEachern, Sham Sunder
Nuclear Technology | Volume 116 | Number 2 | November 1996 | Pages 222-230
Technical Paper | Radioactive Waste Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT96-A35302
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Issues relevant to the performance of irradiated (Th,Pu)O2 as a waste form for geological disposal are briefly reviewed. Fuels of this type are among those being considered for burning plutonium from dismantled nuclear weapons in power reactors, including Canada deuterium uranium (CANDU) systems. The high chemical stability and low aqueous solubility of thoria make this type offuel attractive as a waste form. In contrast with UO2 fuel, the inertness of thoria to oxidation dominates most of the chemical issues of fuel disposal. The overall performance of a thoria-based fuel waste form is likely to be determined by the “instant” release of the gap inventories of mobile fission products such as 129I. This in turn will be controlled largely by the inreactor power history and probably also by details of fuel fabrication. Limited experience with thoria-based fuels [chiefly (Th, U)O2] indicates that, for given power and burnup levels, gas releases can be substantially lower than with UO2 fuels. The gap and grain-boundary inventories of fission products are expected to be correspondingly low. A fabrication route involving molecular-level mixing (e.g., sol-gelprocess) would be preferable to powder blending, because microscopic heterogeneities in the fuel might adversely affect the retention of fission products. Pilot-scale irradiation, postirradiation examination, and leaching studies are required to support this preliminary assessment. Other issues that need to be addressed include impurity specifications (to minimize formation of long-lived activation products) and criticality and safeguards issues that might influence the design of fuel-handling facilities.
