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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.
Kyle L. Walton, Raymond K. Maynard, Tushar K. Ghosh, Robert V. Tompson, Dabir S. Viswanath, Sudarshan K. Loyalka
Nuclear Technology | Volume 205 | Number 5 | May 2019 | Pages 684-693
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2018.1521177
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Total hemispherical emissivity of Alloy 617 was measured for applications in very high temperature reactors with apparatus based on ASTM Standard C835-06. The emissivity data were obtained for the following surface conditions: (1) as-received (rolled sheets) from manufacture, (2) sandblasted with aluminum oxide beads, (3) oxidation in air at temperature of 1153 K, and (4) coated with graphite powder. For the as-received Alloy 617, emissivity increased from 0.26 to 0.34 over the temperatures 593 K to 1164 K. Sandblasting Alloy 617 with alumina beads increased the emissivity to 0.46 to 0.73 in the temperature range 600 to 1300 K (emissivity increased further when higher grit size beads were used). The oxidation of Alloy 617 gave a slight increase in emissivity from 900 to 1250 K with larger increases above 1100 K. Coating of graphite onto as-received and 60-grit sandblasted increased the emissivity by roughly 0.12 and 0.20, respectively, over the measured temperature range.