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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.
Won-Jin Cho, Jae-Owan Lee, Pil-Soo Hahn, Kwan-Sik Chun
Nuclear Technology | Volume 116 | Number 1 | October 1996 | Pages 115-126
Technical Paper | Radioactive Waste Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT96-A35316
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Radionuclide release from an engineered barrier in a low- and intermediate-level waste repository is evaluated. The results of experimental studies conducted to determine the radionuclide diffusion coefficients and the hydraulic conductivities of calcium bentonite and crushed granite mixtures are presented. The hydraulic conductivity of the mixture is relatively low even at low dry density and clay content, and the principal mechanism of radionuclide migration through the mixture is diffusion. The measured values of apparent diffusion coefficients in calcium bentonite with a dry density of 1.4 Mg/m3 are of the order of 10-13 to 10-12 m2/s for cations and 10-11 m2/s for iodine. These values are similar to those in sodium bentonite. The radionuclide release rates from the engineered barrier composed of the concrete structure and the clay-based backfill were calculated. Carbon-14 and 99Tc are the important nuclides; however, their maximum release rates are <10-5 GBq/yr. To quantify the effect of uncertainties of input parameters on the radionuclide release rates, Latin Hypercube sampling was used, and the ranges of release rates were estimated statistically with a confidence level of 95%. The uncertainties of the assessment results of the radionuclide release rate are larger in the case of the sorbing nuclides such as 137Cs. Finally, the sensitivity of the input parameter to release rate is also evaluated.