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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.
Povilas Poskas, Asta Narkuniene, Dalia Grigaliuniene, Stefan Finsterle
Nuclear Technology | Volume 185 | Number 3 | March 2014 | Pages 322-335
Technical Paper | Radioactive Waste Management and Disposal | doi.org/10.13182/NT13-52
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Approximately 22 600 spent nuclear fuel (SNF) assemblies originating from the RBMK-1500 reactor of the Ignalina nuclear power plant in Lithuania need to be managed and disposed of safely. Generic investigations of RBMK-1500 SNF disposal options in Lithuania were initiated. This paper presents insights on RBMK-1500 SNF disposal in crystalline rocks gained during participation in the International Atomic Energy Agency Coordinated Research Project “The Use of Numerical Models in Support of Site Characterization and Performance Assessment Studies for Geological Repositories,” as well as in the Lithuanian Science Development Program. The research was focused on the analysis of disposal behavior of different SNF types under generic geological conditions and for a one-canister defect scenario with two different corrosion rates. A comparison of peak fluxes from the near field for Lithuanian RBMK-1500 and Swedish boiling water reactor SNF revealed differences that are not directly proportional to the differences in SNF inventory.