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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.
Pan Wu, David Novog
Nuclear Technology | Volume 205 | Number 1 | January-February 2019 | Pages 364-376
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2018.1495000
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The CTF code is a subchannel thermal-hydraulic code developed based on the COBRA-TF code. In this work, the CTF code is used to predict the single- and two-phase heat transfer, pressure drop, onset of nucleate boiling, and dryout heat flux in water at several temperatures and pressures under steady-state and transient conditions. The conditions cover a range of pressures from 2 to 6 MPa, flows from 1000 to 2500 kg/(m2∙s), and inlet subcooling from 40°C to 70°C. Experimental heat balance tests show agreement between coolant enthalpy change and the electrical power with a difference of no more than 1.0%. Steady-state experiments were performed at constant inlet conditions in a cylindrical directly heated Inconel test section where the wall temperatures were measured at each power level. For each steady-state test, the experimental boiling curve is compared to CTF predictions. Transient experiments were performed by initiating a blowdown from the test section outlet plenum using a fast-acting valve with an open time of less than 100 ms. The time of dryout in these transient experiments is compared with the CTF results to clarify the pressure transient effect on the dryout prediction.