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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.
Mohamed E. Krar, Ahmed M. El-Khatib, Mohamed S. Badawi
Nuclear Technology | Volume 187 | Number 2 | August 2014 | Pages 208-219
Regular Technical Paper | Radiation Measurements and General Instrumentation | doi.org/10.13182/NT13-109
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In this work, the full energy peak efficiency for a system of two NaI gamma detectors using spherical radioactive sources is evaluated by applying a new numerical algorithm method, since experimental calibration using volumetric sources is a dominant problem of practical gamma spectrometry. The new method is based on the efficiency transfer technique, where the effective solid angles, the effect of self-absorption of the source matrix, and absorption by the source container and the detector housing materials on detector efficiency are considered. The experimental calibration procedure was done using radioactive spherical sources containing aqueous 152Eu radionuclide, which produces photons with a wide range of energies from 121.78 up to 1408.03 keV. The comparison shows good agreement between the measured and calculated efficiencies for the detector using spherical sources.