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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.
Jacob A. Farber, Daniel G. Cole, Ahmad Y. Al Rashdan, Vaibhav Yadav
Nuclear Technology | Volume 205 | Number 8 | August 2019 | Pages 1043-1052
Technical Paper – Special section on Big Data for Nuclear Power Plants | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2018.1534484
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This paper presents data-driven methods to detect loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCAs) in the primary side of a pressurized water reactor. Process data for a variety of accident scenarios have been generated and collected using a generic pressurized water reactor simulator. The data have been used to train kernel density functions, which estimate nonparametric probability density functions based on training data. These density functions have then been used with Bayesian hypothesis testing and maximum likelihood estimation to detect the onset of the LOCAs and to identify where in the primary side the leaks have occurred. The methods have been able to detect the LOCAs for all scenarios tested with an average detection delay of one-seventh the time for the reactor to trip. Furthermore, the methods have been able to correctly identify the leak locations for 92.3% of the scenarios tested, with higher success rates for larger leaks.