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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.
D. R. Kingdon, A. A. Harms
Nuclear Technology | Volume 116 | Number 1 | October 1996 | Pages 1-8
Technical Paper | Fission Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT96-A35307
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The average fuel pellet power ratio in a pellet-suspension core is investigated. This ratio relates the electric power required to sustain the pellet suspension to the electric power derivable from the fission process. For 2% enriched uranium in a suspending medium of helium gas, a power ratio >2 × 104 for a range of particle sizes is found. Comparable ratios of 1 × 104 for light water and 2 × 103 for liquid lead as suspending mediums are determined. For each fluid, the power ratio appears sufficiently favorable to warrant further investigation of such fission reactor cores
