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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.
Shih-Hai Li, Chu-Tien Chen
Nuclear Technology | Volume 120 | Number 2 | November 1997 | Pages 136-148
Technical Paper | Radioactive Waste Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT97-A35422
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Analytical solutions are developed for the problem of radionuclide transport in a system of parallel fractures situated in a porous rock matrix. A kinetic solubility-limited dissolution model is used as the inlet boundary condition. The solutions consider the following processes: (a) advective transport in the fractures, (b) mechanical dispersion and molecular diffusion along the fractures, (c) molecular diffusion from a fracture to the porous matrix, (d) molecular diffusion within the porous matrix in the direction perpendicular to the fracture axis, (e) adsorption onto the fracture wall (f) adsorption within the porous matrix, and (g) radioactive decay: The solutions are based on the Laplace transform method. The general transient solution is in the form of a double integral that is evaluated using composite Gauss-Legendre quadrature. A simpler transient solution that is in the form of a single integral is also presented for the case that assumes negligible longitudinal dispersion along the fractures. The steady-state solutions are also provided. A number of examples are given to illustrate the effects of the following important parameters: (a) fracture spacings, (b) dissolution-rate constants, (c) fracture dispersion coefficient, (d) matrix retardation factor, and (e) fracture retardation factor.