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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.
Robert Jeraj, Bogdan Glumac, Marko Maučec
Nuclear Technology | Volume 120 | Number 3 | December 1997 | Pages 179-187
Technical Paper | Fission Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT97-A35409
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A Monte Carlo computer code MCNP4A simulation of the TRIGA Mark II benchmark experiment performed in 1992 is presented. It may be noted that this benchmark experiment is one of very few high-enrichment benchmarks available. To minimize errors due to an inexact geometry model, the TRIGA Mark II reactor core was very thoroughly modeled. All fresh fuel and control elements as well as the vicinity of the core were precisely described. MCNP4A input was prepared in such a way that any desired core configuration could be simulated easily. Continuous energy cross-section data from ENDF / B-VI and ENDF / B-V(for nat Cr, natFe, and natNi) libraries and S(α, β) scattering functions from the ENDF / B-IV library were used in our calculations. The differences between ENDF / B-VI and ENDF / B-V evaluations were examined on critical experiments. Most of the steady-state operation experiments were simulated, including two critical experiments, namely, measurements of the excess reactivity of the core, and the determination of control rod worths and fuel element reactivity worth distribution. Excellent agreement with the experimental results was observed.