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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.
Travis W. Knight, G. Ronald Dalton, James S. Tulenko
Nuclear Technology | Volume 117 | Number 2 | February 1997 | Pages 255-266
Technical Paper | Radiation Protection | doi.org/10.13182/NT97-A35330
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A virtual reality system was developed for computational and graphical modeling and simulation of radiation environments. This system, called Virtual Radiation Fields (VRF), demonstrates the usefulness of radiological analysis in simulation-based design for predicting radiation doses for robotic equipment and personnel working in a radiation environment. The system was developed for use in determining the radiation doses forobotic equipment to be used in tank-waste retrieval operations at the Hanford National Laboratory. As a reference case, specific application is made to simulate cleanup operations for Hanford tank C-106. A three-dimensional model representation of the tank and its predicted radiation levels are presented and analyzed. Tank cleanup operations were simulated to understand how radiation levels change during the cleanup phase and to predict cumulative radiation doses to robotic equipment to aid in the development of maintenance and replacement schedules.