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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.
J. W. Maddox, W. M. Stacey
Nuclear Technology | Volume 158 | Number 1 | April 2007 | Pages 94-108
Technical Paper | Radioactive Waste Management and Disposal | doi.org/10.13182/NT07-A3828
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Geologic repositories for the long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) are limited in their capacity by the amount of decay heat emitted by the SNF. The largest long-term contribution to this decay heat comes from the transuranics (TRUs), the destruction of which could increase storage capacity by a factor of at least 10. A design concept for a subcritical gas-cooled fast transmutation reactor (GCFTR) fueled with TRUs from SNF is being developed. This paper presents the results of analyses of several GCFTR fuel cycle scenarios that have a deep-burn (>90% burnup of the TRU fuel) primary objective and a secondary objective of avoiding reprocessing of the TRU fuel if possible.