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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.
Charles F. Weber, Calvin M. Hopper
Nuclear Technology | Volume 153 | Number 1 | January 2006 | Pages 1-8
Technical Paper | Reactor Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT06-A3684
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A new approach to modeling fissile solution densities is developed and applied to arbitrary solutions of UO22+, Th4+, Pu4+, H+, and NO3- in water. The model is based on the semiempirical method of Pitzer for describing electrolyte solution thermodynamics. This new density model has been included in the recent release of the SCALE 5 code system as the default for criticality calculations of fissile solutions.
