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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.
Jack D. Law, R. Scott Herbst, Dean R. Peterman, Rich D. Tillotson, Terry A. Todd
Nuclear Technology | Volume 147 | Number 2 | August 2004 | Pages 284-290
Technical Paper | Reprocessing | doi.org/10.13182/NT04-A3532
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A chlorinated cobalt dicarbollide(CCD)/polyethylene glycol (PEG) based solvent extraction process is being developed for the separation of Cs and Sr from leached spent light water reactor (LWR) fuel as part of the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI). The separation of Cs and Sr would significantly reduce the heat generation of spent nuclear fuel requiring geologic disposal. A solvent composition for this process has been verified, and the distribution coefficient acid dependency for Cs, Sr, Am, and Eu have been measured for the CCD/PEG solvent. Leached spent fuel simulant, traced with 137Cs, 85Sr, 241Am, and 154Eu, was used to perform batch contact flowsheet experiments for the extraction, scrub, and strip sections of the CCD/PEG process. Additionally, the effects of acetohydroxamic acid and its decomposition products, as well as the effects of the uranium extraction (UREX) process solvent, on the extraction of Cs and Sr with the CCD/PEG process were evaluated.
