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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.
Yea-Kuang Chan
Nuclear Technology | Volume 200 | Number 1 | October 2017 | Pages 80-92
Technical Note | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2017.1338879
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The baseline and verification performance tests based on American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Performance Test Code 6 (PTC 6) for Maanshan Nuclear Power Station (MNPS) Unit 1 were successfully conducted prior to and after the replacement of a high-pressure turbine rotor. In order to verify that the actual improvement in electrical output resulting from this replacement meets the vendor’s guarantee, measurement uncertainty analysis of the thermal performance test was calculated. Two verification performance tests show that the deviation for the corrected heat rates of the two tests differs by only 0.11%, which therefore meets the ASME PTC 6 requirements where the deviation between two tests should be within 0.25%. Thus, the quality of the test results is acceptable. After accounting for the test uncertainty, the test results demonstrated that the improvement in gross electrical output compared to the baseline performance test is between 12.57 and 22.63 MW(electric), which is higher than the contract guarantee of 10.0 MW(electric). Moreover, the major parameters of the turbine cycle measured during verification performance tests have established a reference base for monitoring the plant operating performance and provide useful information to turbine cycle design for a nuclear power plant.