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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.
K. Schmid, M. J. Baldwin, R. P. Doerner, D. Nishijima
Nuclear Technology | Volume 159 | Number 3 | September 2007 | Pages 238-244
Technical Paper | Beryllium Technology | doi.org/10.13182/NT07-A3871
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The deposition of beryllium (Be) on carbon (C) and tungsten (W) has been studied at the PISCES-B divertor simulator. Samples of C and W were exposed to a deuterium plasma that was seeded with Be from a small effusion cell mounted ~120 mm upstream from the sample. The incident and eroded flux of Be from these samples was monitored through visible light spectroscopy. The surface composition and layer thickness were measured using Auger electron spectroscopy and ion beam analysis. Results on the formation of Be layers on C and W focusing on the layer growth rate and thickness as functions of temperature are presented. Modeling calculations of Be layer formation on graphite can explain the equilibrium surface composition, but a prediction of the layer formation rate is hampered by an incomplete model of the influence of surface morphology on chemical erosion of the surface. For Be layer formation on W, the modeling calculations including Be diffusion and sublimation correctly predict the Be uptake into the W surface.