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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.
Kuniki Hata, Hiroyuki Inoue, Takao Kojima, Akihiro Iwase, Shigeki Kasahara, Satoshi Hanawa, Fumiyoshi Ueno, Takashi Tsukada
Nuclear Technology | Volume 193 | Number 3 | March 2016 | Pages 434-443
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NT15-32
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Gamma radiolysis experiments on solutions of a mixture of sodium chloride (NaCl) and sodium bromide (NaBr) were conducted to confirm the validity of radiolysis calculations for simulated seawater solutions and to determine the importance of bromide anion (Br−) in the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) via water radiolysis. The H2O2 concentration in each solution was measured after irradiation and compared with that obtained from radiolysis calculations. It was found that the calculated and experimental results were in good agreement. The concentration of H2O2 in a 0.6 M NaCl solution increased approximately three times on the addition of 1 mM NaBr. The result showed that Br− plays an important role in the production of H2O2 by water radiolysis, presumably through the reactions of Br− with hydroxyl radical (●OH). For 1 mM NaCl solutions, there is a minimum production rate of H2O2 at pH 8, which increases when the pH changes to either lower or higher values. It was considered that the hydrated electron also plays an important role in H2O2 production under these acidic and alkaline conditions.