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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.
Benjamin M. Chase, Anthony W. LaPorta, James R. Parry
Nuclear Technology | Volume 205 | Number 10 | October 2019 | Pages 1312-1324
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2019.1585162
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A core characterization process was completed as part of the Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) restart project. The core characterization process is normally performed following a reconfiguration of the TREAT core. This characterization process includes performance of three temperature-limited transients. Prior to performing the transients, analysis is performed using KENO-VI to determine the high-temperature locations and the initiating reactivities for each transient. The point-kinetics code Simulating TREAT Reactor Kinetics (STREK) is used to estimate the peak power, peak temperature, and total energy deposition in the core. STREK also provides plots of pertinent parameters as functions of time to observe time-dependent behavior of the transient. After the transients are complete, the resulting data from these transients are used to develop operating limits for continued operation with the core configuration being characterized. The three transients for the characterization are performed in a progression of increasing initiating reactivity. The first transient has an initiating reactivity of 1.8%Δk/k. The second transient has an initiating reactivity of 3.0%Δk/k. The third transient has an initiating reactivity of 3.85%Δk/k. After the first two transients are performed, a two-point extrapolation of the data is used to determine a temporary estimate of the core operating limits. Once the third transient is complete, the resulting data are fit to an equation, and a three-point extrapolation of the operating limits for the core configuration is generated. This completes the characterization process and provides conservative limits for transient operation of TREAT.