ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2026
Nuclear Technology
August 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
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.
Wang-Kee In, Tae-Hyun Chun, Chang-Hwan Shin, Dong-Seok Oh
Nuclear Technology | Volume 161 | Number 1 | January 2008 | Pages 69-79
Technical Paper | Thermal Hydraulics | doi.org/10.13182/NT08-A3914
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A series of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations has been conducted to analyze the heat transfer enhancement in a fully heated rod bundle with mixing-vane spacers. The predicted Nusselt numbers downstream of the split-vane spacer are compared with the available experimental measurements and with correlation. The CFD calculations at Re = 28000 and 42000 showed a lower heat transfer enhancement close to the space grid but a good agreement of the decay rate with the fully heated experimental data at ~6Dh downstream of the grid. The CFD simulations also showed a maximum enhancement of the heat transfer at 6 to 7Dh downstream of the split-vane spacer due to the multiple vortices predicted near the spacer. In addition, the present paper compares the thermal-hydraulic performance of two different mixing vane spacers, i.e., a split-vane spacer and a hybrid-vane spacer, based on CFD simulations at a pressurized water reactor's operating conditions. The split vane is predicted to have a higher overall heat transfer enhancement but a lower local heat transfer far downstream of the spacer where the minimum departure from nucleate boiling ratio is anticipated.