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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.
Seung Min Lee, Travis W. Knight, Stewart L. Voit, Rozaliya I. Barabash
Nuclear Technology | Volume 193 | Number 2 | February 2016 | Pages 287-296
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NT14-136
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The solid solution of (U1−yFPy)O2±x has the same fluorite structure as UO2±x, and the lattice parameter is affected by dissolved fission product and oxygen concentrations. The relation between the lattice parameter and the concentrations of neodymium and oxygen in the fluorite structure of (U1−yNdy)O2±x was investigated using X-ray diffraction. The lattice parameter behavior in the (U1−yNdy)O2±x solid solution shows a linear change as a function of the oxygen-to-metal ratio and solubility of neodymium. The lattice parameter depends on the radii of ions forming the fluorite structure and also can be expressed by a particular rule (modified Vegard’s law). The numerical analyses of the lattice parameters for the stoichiometric and nonstoichiometric solid solutions were conducted, and the lattice parameter model for the (U1−yNdy)O2±x solid solution was assessed. A very linear relationship between the lattice parameter and the Nd and O concentration for the stoichiometry and nonstoichiometry of the (U1−yNdy)O2±x solid solution was verified.