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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.
Louis M. Shotkin, Yutaka Kukita
Nuclear Technology | Volume 119 | Number 3 | September 1997 | Pages 217-234
Technical Paper | Nuclear Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT97-A35399
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Westinghouse has submitted the new AP600 reactor design for certification under the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations for standard designs. The NRC has performed confirmatory testing in the Rig of Safety Assessment (ROSA) - V Large-Scale Test Facility run by the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI). The ROSA/AP600 test results as provided by JAERI are reviewed in terms of their implications for the original technical concerns that were to be addressed by the testing program. Implications for computer code capabilities are also discussed. Since gravity-driven natural circulation flow in a complicated piping network was a key concern, the review concentrates on this aspect of the ROSA/AP600 test results. In particular, it looks at the possible effect of system interactions at high pressure and during early depres-surization. It identifies those ROSA/AP600 test occurrences that point to processes that could delay automatic depressurization system initiation or in-containment reactor water storage tank injection. Since most of the tests run were small-break loss-of-coolant accidents (SBLOCAs), the review focusses on this type of scenario. A comparison of several SBLOCA tests is presented.