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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.
Min-Jie Chuang, Shih-Jen Wang, Sheng-Yuan Fann, Show-Chyuan Chiang
Nuclear Technology | Volume 167 | Number 2 | August 2009 | Pages 247-253
Technical Paper | Fission Reactors | doi.org/10.13182/NT09-A8961
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Generic severe accident guidelines (SAGs) of a boiling water reactor are developed based on the Mark-I containment system. There are many intrinsic features of Mark-III containment including the following: the drywell does not form a part of the primary containment boundary, it has large containment free volume, the drywell is enclosed by the primary containment, and the drywell and the primary containment are located parallel on the same elevation.Because of the features of the Mark-III system and its benefit to the containment flooding strategy, it is found that the associated containment flooding strategy can be simplified. The seven legs in the containment flooding strategy are reduced to four legs. The five rows of check logic are reduced to three. Simplifying the SAG charts whenever possible increases the probability of a successful outcome. The tedious and time-consuming work of identifying the reactor pressure vessel status can be removed. It saves time for decision making in emergency conditions.