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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.
Jau-Tyne Yeh, Ta-Lun Sung, J. Y. Shiue
Nuclear Technology | Volume 156 | Number 2 | November 2006 | Pages 125-132
Technical Paper | Fission Reactors | doi.org/10.13182/NT06-A3778
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A tool, AFDCONTROL, is developed to help the operators of pressurized water reactors predict axial flux difference (AFD) and find the control rod positions for power maneuvers. AFDCONTROL has used an off-line procedure to simulate AFD.After adopting a long-cycle strategy as the fuel management policy of Maanshan nuclear power plant (MNPP), AFD control during the power reduction near end of cycle (EOC) becomes more difficult than before. In this study, we have used AFDCONTROL to simulate this trend. AFDCONTROL suggests that AFD (even at higher burnup conditions) can be controlled by extending the power reduction rate. After implantation of the AFDCONTROL tool in MNPP, the operators of MNPP units have used AFDCONTROL to find the control rod sequences and positions under certain power reduction rates to control AFD without violating limits, especially at EOC of the high-burnup cycle.
