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.
Shengyao Ding, Kun Xu, Xiaojian Huang, Zheng Wang
Nuclear Technology | Volume 155 | Number 3 | September 2006 | Pages 350-357
Technical Paper | Nuclear Plant Operations and Control | doi.org/10.13182/NT06-A3767
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This paper describes a new system for monitoring leaks in a steam generator. The new system extends the traditional 16N monitor to detect both the rate and the location of a leak. Because the transit time is different for radioactive 16N and 19O to travel from the reactor core via the hot bottom side, cold bottom side, or bend region of the U-tube in a steam generator to the gamma-ray detector, the new system uses the different transit times to identify the location of leaks. Specifically, the ratio S0 of 16N to 19O activities in the reactor core of a swimming pool reactor was calculated by combining the cross sections np(E) and n(E) with the neutron spectra n(E). The ratio S1 of 16N to 19O activities in the measurement room was also calculated and measured by the high-purity germanium and NaI(Tl) detectors. The result of the calculation agrees with the measurement within an acceptable range.