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August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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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.
W. M. Stacey, Z. Abbasi, C. J. Boyd, A. H. Bridges, E. A. Burgett, M. W. Cymbor, S. W. Fowler, A. T. Jones, R. S. Kelm, B. J. Kern, D. B. Lassiter, J. A. Maddox, W. B. Murphy, H. Park, J. M. Pounders, J. R. Preston
Nuclear Technology | Volume 156 | Number 1 | October 2006 | Pages 99-123
Technical Paper | Radioactive Waste Management and Disposal | doi.org/10.13182/NT06-A3777
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A design concept and supporting analysis are presented for a He-cooled fast reactor for the transmutation of spent nuclear fuel. Coated transuranic (TRU) fuel particles in a SiC matrix are used. The reactor operates subcritical (k 0.95), with a tokamak D-T fusion neutron source, to achieve >90% TRU burnup in repeated five-batch fuel cycles, fissions 1.1 tonnes/full-power year, and produces 700 MW(electric) net electrical power. The reactor design is based on nuclear, fuels, materials, and separations technologies being developed in the Generation-IV, Next Generation Nuclear Plant, and Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative programs and similar international programs, and the fusion neutron source is based on the physics and technology supporting the ITER design.