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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.
Ali Tanrikut, Orhan Yesin
Nuclear Technology | Volume 149 | Number 1 | January 2005 | Pages 88-100
Technical Paper | Thermal Hydraulics | doi.org/10.13182/NT05-A3581
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In this research study, in-tube condensation in the presence of air was investigated experimentally at a heat exchanger of countercurrent type for different operating conditions. The test matrix for the steady-state condition covers the range of pressures P = 1.8 to 5.5 bars, vapor Reynolds numbers Rev = 45 000 to 94 000, and inlet air mass fraction values Xi = 0 to 52%. The effect of air manifests itself by a reduction in the local heat flux and the local heat transfer coefficient. The local heat transfer coefficient is inversely proportional to the local air mass fraction. Both the local heat flux and the heat transfer coefficient vary with the system pressure and vapor mass flow rate. There is no effect of inlet superheating on the local heat flux. The film Reynolds number lies in the range of the turbulent region. Two experiments simulating loss of coolant to the secondary side of the condenser were performed, for pure steam and for an air/steam mixture. These transients show that the vapor suction rate, effective condensation length, and overall heat transfer rate are a function of the coolant boiloff rate and the air mass fraction.