ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2026
Nuclear Technology
August 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
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.
Wang-Kee In, Tae-Hyun Chun
Nuclear Technology | Volume 150 | Number 3 | June 2005 | Pages 231-250
Technical Paper | Thermal Hydraulics | doi.org/10.13182/NT05-A3619
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis has been performed to assess the Reynolds Average Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulence models to predict a turbulent flow and heat transfer in a triangular rod bundle with pitch-to-diameter ratios (P/Ds) of 1.06 and 1.12. The CFD predictions using various turbulence models were compared with experimental results. Anisotropic turbulence models such as the nonlinear k - [curly epsilon] and the second-order closure models predicted the turbulence-driven secondary flow in the triangular channel and the distributions of the time mean velocity and temperature showing significantly improved agreement with the measurements from the linear standard k - [curly epsilon] model. The anisotropic turbulence models predicted the turbulence structure for a rod bundle with a large P/D fairly well but could not predict the very high turbulence intensity of the azimuthal velocity observed in the narrow flow region (gap) for a rod bundle with a small P/D.