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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.
Faten N. Al Zubaidi, Kyle L. Walton, Robert V. Tompson, Tushar K. Ghosh, Sudarshan K. Loyalka
Nuclear Technology | Volume 205 | Number 7 | July 2019 | Pages 951-963
Regular Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2019.1573618
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The total hemispherical emissivity of A508/A533B alloy steels was measured for conditions of interest in nuclear plant safety. The effect of long-term oxidation on the emissivity of A508/A533B was simulated by oxidizing test samples using a three-zone tube furnace at temperatures of 573 and 773 K. An apparatus built and operated in compliance with the American Society for Testing and Materials C835-06 testing standard was used to measure the total hemispherical emissivity for the following surface conditions: (1) mirror-like polished (unoxidized), (2) polished surface oxidized in air, (3) wire-cut electrical discharge machining (EDM), and (4) EDM-cut surface oxidized in air. The emissivity of polished (unoxidized) A508/A533B strips varied from 0.16 to 0.24 within the temperature range from 552 to 1180 K. Increasing the oxidation time of polished A508/A533B from 10 to 100 h at 573 K provided slight increase in emissivity, whereas increasing the oxidation temperature from 573 to 773 K for a 10-h duration provided over a threefold increase in emissivity. EDM-cut surfaces had an emissivity of 0.51 at 464 K to 0. 54 at 845 K due to the inherent roughness and the presence of a recast layer and possible oxidation layer. Oxidizing EDM-cut A508/A533B in air at 573 K increased the emissivity compared to the unoxidized EDM-cut A508/A533B, but no additional increase in emissivity occurred from 500- to 1000-h durations. Further oxidation of A508/A533B oxidized at 573 K for 1000 h for an additional 500 h at 773 K resulted in spallation of the oxide layer. The emissivity of the sample with loose oxide removed had similar emissivity for EDM-cut A508/A533B at 537 K.