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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.
M. Yousif Alhaj, Alya Badawi, Hanaa H. Abou-Gabal, Nader M. A. Mohamed
Nuclear Technology | Volume 194 | Number 3 | June 2016 | Pages 314-323
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NT15-78
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This research focuses on the utilization of thorium-plutonium fuel in pressurized water reactors (PWRs). The reference PWR selected in this research was the Westinghouse AP1000. Thorium-plutonium mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel assemblies partially replaced the uranium oxide fuel assemblies to reduce uranium demand. The cases studied contained 36, 48, 60, 72, and 84 thorium-plutonium MOX fuel assemblies, with the rest of the 193 fuel assemblies loaded with UO2 fuel. The core cycle length, the amount of plutonium incinerated, the amount of generated 233U in the spent fuel, and the conversion ratios were determined using MCNP6. For the different cases, safety parameters such as the power peaking factor and delayed neutron fraction (βeff) were evaluated. The study showed that using thorium-plutonium MOX can achieve good peaking power factors with delayed neutron fractions within the safety limits. Also a conversion factor of about 10% was achieved.
