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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.
S. Tashiro, G. Uchiyama, Y. Amano, H. Abe, Y. Yamane, K. Yoshida
Nuclear Technology | Volume 190 | Number 2 | May 2015 | Pages 207-213
Technical Note | Radioactive Waste Management and Disposal | doi.org/10.13182/NT14-57
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The release behavior of radioactive materials from high active liquid waste (HALW) has been investigated under boiling accident conditions. Results of the experiment using a nonradioactive simulated HALW found Ru to be a volatile element under the accident conditions and to be released into the gas phase in the form of both mist and gas. The Ru release rate and the apparent Ru volatilization rate constant were obtained under the boiling conditions of simulated HALW. The other fission product elements such as Cs were found to be nonvolatile and to be released into the gas phase in the form of mist. The mist size distribution near the surface of the simulated HALW in the reactor vessel was found to range from 0.05 to 20 μm with a peak diameter of ∼2 μm.
