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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.
Kuo-Hsiang Chien, Wei-Keng Lin, Yih-Chean Tsai
Nuclear Technology | Volume 120 | Number 2 | November 1997 | Pages 171-178
Technical Note | Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow | doi.org/10.13182/NT97-A35425
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The development of a practical and simple on-line void fraction measurement of two-phase flow is of prime interest in applications for nuclear reactor safety research and chemical engineering plants. Experiments were performed at a system pressure of 1 atm. The test sections were made of transparent vertical acrylic pipe with three inner diameters of 1.9, 2, and 2.54 cm. The void fraction was measured by different sizes of side tubes in an air-water two-phase flow; and the void fraction was also compared with the data, which were measured from the liquid holdup between two quick-close valves. The experiment results showed a good agreement for void fractions <0.3, but the error could be large when the flow was in the slug regime.