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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.
Th. U. Kaempfer, Y. Mishin, J. Brommundt, J. Roger, E. Treille, and N. Hubschwerlen
Nuclear Technology | Volume 187 | Number 2 | August 2014 | Pages 131-146
Technical Paper | Thermal Hydraulics | doi.org/10.13182/NT13-80
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Numerical simulation of multiphase flow and transport processes forms an important base for the assessment of deep geological repositories for radioactive waste. The finite volume simulation code TOUGH2-MP with its EOS7R equation-of-state module is a good starting point for large-scale simulations of the relevant processes, including solute transport of radionuclides, in and around a geological repository. On this base, we developed the equation-of-state module EOS75Rx that contains optimizations and specific extensions allowing for a much more efficient treatment of the problem at hand. First, hydrogen, which is formed by corrosion of waste containers and by radiolysis of organic wastes, replaces air as the main component of the gas phase. Second, an arbitrary number of variably long decay chains with branching can be considered. Third, solubility limitation and associated precipitation of chemical elements are modeled. Finally, a bug fix related to the source terms has been implemented. The new TOUGH2-MP EOS75Rx module has been validated using unitary tests and benchmark problems for the single- and two-phase flow and transport of radionuclides through porous media and soils. Its performance has been demonstrated by a large-scale, three-dimensional simulation of the performance of a generic deep geological repository in clay host rock.