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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.
Jessica A. Mitchell, R. M. Counce, J. S. Watson, B. B. Spencer, G. D. Del Cul
Nuclear Technology | Volume 165 | Number 3 | March 2009 | Pages 360-369
Technical Paper | Reprocessing | doi.org/10.13182/NT09-A4107
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This study explores different technologies for removing acetic acid from a UREX+ waste stream. The waste stream contains both nitric and acetic acids, and the acetic acid must be removed from the waste stream to prevent potential problems in the downstream steps as well as affecting the recycle of nitric acid. The acetic acid is formed after the UREX step of the process as a result of hydrolytic degradation of acetohydroxamic acid used to suppress plutonium extraction. Of the available technologies, the two most attractive approaches are solvent extraction and distillation. In industry, solvent extraction is used for more dilute concentrations of acetic acid while distillation is used for concentrated acetic acid. If a liquid-liquid extraction is viable, this would be the best option with the addition of an extractant, like tributyl phosphate or tri-n-octyl amine, if needed. However, if acetic acid removal can be delayed until the end of the UREX+ process when the nitric acid may be concentrated for recycle, distillation may remain an option, though not necessarily a better option than solvent extraction.