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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.
M. Budi Setiawan, P. Made Udiyani, S. Kuntjoro, I. Husnayani, T. Surbakti
Nuclear Technology | Volume 206 | Number 12 | December 2020 | Pages 1945-1950
Technical Note | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2020.1720558
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The use of the RSG-GAS research reactor as a transmutation reactor is analyzed to study its effectiveness for transmuting long-lived fission products (LLFPs), particularly 129I and 99Tc. Both radionuclides selected are assumed as discharged from of a 1000-MW(electric) pressurized water reactor (PWR) spent fuel. If these radionuclides are stored in sustainable geologic disposal, they will require high-cost handling due to their special shielding. In one cycle of PWR1000 operation, the 99Tc produced is 43.7 kg and 129I is 9.5 kg in its spent fuel. Considering reactor safety, the maximum target mass permitted to be transmuted in the RSG-GAS is 3.0 kg for the 99Tc and 5.0 kg for the 129I. In 1 year of (five cycles) operation, the 99Tc and 129I targets would be reduced by 126 and 290 g, respectively. Although it has the potentiality to safely transmute LLFP targets in its core, RSG-GAS requires longer irradiation time (about 20 years) to entirely transmute the targets.
