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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.
Kosuke Aizawa, Koei Sasaki, Yoshitaka Chikazawa, Masaru Fukuie, Noboru Jinbo
Nuclear Technology | Volume 204 | Number 1 | October 2018 | Pages 74-82
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2018.1469346
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Development of an inspection technique in opaque liquid-metal coolant is one of the important issues to ensure the safety of the liquid-metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR). Performance tests of an under sodium viewer (USV), which was developed to detect an obstacle in the reactor vessel (RV) of the LMFBR Monju, have been carried out. Ultrasonic sensors and reflectors are located across the core inside Monju’s RV. The USV can detect an obstacle existing between the core top and the upper core structure bottom by identifying differences of echo signals. This paper describes the USV performance tests. In the tests, the reference echo signals under various conditions were accumulated, and the signal-to-noise ratio successfully exceeded the target value. Measured signals clearly differed with and without an obstacle. These experimental results show the performance of the USV for detecting an obstacle in a specified place.