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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.
Seok-Ki Choi, Myung-Hwan Wi, Won-Dae Jeon, Seong-O Kim
Nuclear Technology | Volume 152 | Number 2 | November 2005 | Pages 223-238
Technical Paper | Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics | doi.org/10.13182/NT05-A3672
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A computational study of thermal striping in an upper plenum of the Korea Advanced Liquid-Metal Reactor (KALIMER) was performed. The primary objective of the present study was to find the distribution of the amplitude of temperature fluctuation in the hot pool of KALIMER. The computations were performed using the CFX-4 code with the differential stress and flux turbulence model and the Van Leer convection scheme. Two cases with different outlet velocity of the control rod fuel assemblies are considered. The distributions of the velocity vector, temperature, and temperature fluctuation were obtained from the calculation. In order to quantitatively understand the amplitude of temperature fluctuation at the bottom wall of the upper internal structure (UIS), the amplitude of the fluctuation of temperature in the radial and angular directions was investigated. The amplitude of temperature fluctuation at the UIS bottom plate was largely dependent on the magnitude of the outlet velocity of the control rod fuel assemblies. From the calculated results, it was found that the largest temperature fluctuation occurred at the radial edge of the UIS bottom in the KALIMER design. Since thermal striping is dependent on the amplitude of temperature fluctuations and frequency, the region of the UIS bottom edge needs to be analyzed with a detailed unsteady calculation.