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August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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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.
Noah A. Weichselbaum, Shadman Hussain, Morteza Rahimi-Abkenar, Majid T. Manzari, Philippe M. Bardet
Nuclear Technology | Volume 195 | Number 1 | July 2016 | Pages 98-104
Technical Note | doi.org/10.13182/NT15-93
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The effect of water on the dynamics response of fuel bundles in pressurized water reactors during external forcing is studied experimentally inside a large facility that houses a full-height bundle and is operated on an earthquake shake table. This configuration is directly relevant to earthquakes and loss-of-coolant accidents. Most data to date have been focused on structural response and some pointwise measurements of liquid velocity. Here, structure displacement coupled with velocity field are investigated with nonintrusive optical diagnostics in initially stagnant water. Data indicate that a flow develops as the structure oscillates: both a cross flow through the bundle and an axial pulsatile flow that was not anticipated. A physical mechanism is proposed as a source of this structure-induced flow that is driven by pressure gradients around the fuel bundle.