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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.
Hiroyuki Fukuyama, Hideo Higashi, Hidemasa Yamano
Nuclear Technology | Volume 205 | Number 9 | September 2019 | Pages 1154-1163
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2019.1578572
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An electromagnetic levitation technique performed in a static magnetic field was used to measure density, surface tension, normal spectral emissivity, heat capacity, and thermal conductivity of molten 316L stainless steel (SS316L) and SS316L that contained 5 mass % B4C. The addition of 5 mass % B4C to the SS316L yielded reductions of 111 K, 6%, 19%, and 6% in the liquidus temperature, density, normal spectral emissivity, and thermal conductivity at the liquidus temperature of the SS316L, respectively. The heat capacity increased by 5% with this addition. Although the addition of 5 mass % B4C had no clear effect on the surface tensin, sulfur dissolved in the SS316L caused a significant decrease in the surface tension.