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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.
Mohammad Abdul Motalab, Woosong Kim, Yonghee Kim
Nuclear Technology | Volume 205 | Number 9 | September 2019 | Pages 1185-1204
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2019.1582942
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This paper is concerned with an improved two-step methodology based on the nodal equivalence theory for more accurate and consistent CANDU reactor analysis. In addition, the albedo-corrected parameterized equivalence constants (APEC) method is introduced to achieve further improvement of the nodal solution by correcting the burnup-dependent cross sections (XSs) and discontinuity factors (DFs). The APEC algorithm is incorporated into an in-house nodal expansion method (NEM) code. Colorset calculations are performed to obtain physically meaningful leakage information of the fuel lattice, and the results are used for generating burnup-dependent APEC functions to correct groupwise XSs and DFs. The NEM-equivalent reference DF on each surface of the colorset are calculated for a coarse mesh (1 × 1 mesh per fuel assembly) using the net-current boundary conditions. These reference DFs are used to determine the DF APEC functions. A separate set of burnup-dependent APEC functions is generated for the fuel lattice loaded with a reactivity device. Both position- and burnup-dependent APEC functions are applied for accurate CANDU core analysis. A two-dimensional CANDU whole-core nodal analysis is performed to show the effectiveness of the APEC corrections. Moreover, several variants of the original benchmark are also analyzed with the same APEC functions to confirm the general applicability of the predetermined APEC functions. In addition, NEM calculations are performed for a CANDU core with a reactivity device and its variants with different burnup profiles. Numerical results show that the APEC-based two-step nodal methodology can provide an accurate and consistent solution for burned CANDU cores with reactivity device.
