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Center for Used Fuel Research: Building confidence in storage and transport
Used nuclear fuel storage and transportation have reached a critical juncture.
Dozens of utilities need reliable data on how used nuclear fuel performs in dry storage casks and canisters to extend regulatory licenses at sites across the United States. Likewise, the Department of Energy expects to take ownership of the used nuclear fuel—termed “spent nuclear fuel” in the laws and regulations governing its stewardship—and transfer it to one or more federal staging facilities for management and disposition.
Meanwhile, dozens of reactor companies are testing prototypes of advanced reactors and advanced reactor fuels. Eventually, regulators and industry must also verify the safety and security of storage methods for these advanced fuel types.
To help address these challenges, the DOE established the Center for Used Fuel Research (CUFR) in January 2026 for work related to the long-term storage and transport of used nuclear fuel.
Casey Kovesdi, Zachary Spielman, Katya LeBlanc, Brandon Rice
Nuclear Technology | Volume 202 | Number 2 | May-June 2018 | Pages 220-229
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2018.1455461
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An important element of human factors engineering (HFE) pertains to measurement and evaluation (M&E). The role of HFE-M&E should be integrated throughout the entire control room modernization (CRM) process and be used for human–system performance evaluation and diagnostic purposes to resolve potential human engineering deficiencies and other human–machine interface design issues. NUREG-0711 describes how HFE in CRM should employ a hierarchical set of measures, particularly during integrated system validation, including plant performance, personnel task performance, situation awareness, cognitive workload, and anthropometric/physiological factors. Historically, subjective measures have been primarily used since they are easier to collect and do not require specialized equipment. However, there are pitfalls with relying solely on subjective measures in M&E such as negatively impacting reliability, sensitivity, and objectivity. As part of comprehensively capturing a diverse set of measures that strengthen findings and inferences made about the benefits from emerging technologies like advanced displays, this paper discusses the value of using eye tracking as an objective method that can be used in M&E. A brief description of eye tracking technology and relevant eye tracking measures is provided. Additionally, technical considerations and the unique challenges with using eye tracking in full-scale simulations are addressed. Finally, this paper shares preliminary findings regarding the use of a wearable eye tracking system in a full–scale simulator study. These findings should help guide future full–scale simulator studies using eye tracking as a methodology to evaluate human-system performance.