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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.
Reijo Munther, Juhani Vihavainen, Heikki Kalli, Jyrki Kouhia, Vesa Riikonen
Nuclear Technology | Volume 119 | Number 3 | September 1997 | Pages 235-243
Technical Paper | Nuclear Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT97-A35400
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The RELAP5 calculation results for a series of gravity-driven emergency core-cooling (ECC) experiments with the parallel channel test loop (PACTEL) facility are provided. The simulated accident was a small-break loss-of-coolant accident with a break in one hot leg of the three loops of the facility. The ECC flow was provided from a core makeup tank (CMT) located at a higher elevation than the main part of the primary system. The CMT was pressurized with pipings from the pressurizer and a cold leg. The tests indicate that rapid condensation in the CMT influences the ECC flow. The experimental results are numerically analyzed using the RELAP5/MOD3.1 code. The calculations show good agreement with the tests except in the modeling of rapid condensation.
