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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.
S. Agosteo, A. Fazzi, G. D'Angelo, M. V. Introini, A. Pola, C. Pirovano, V. Varoli
Nuclear Technology | Volume 168 | Number 1 | October 2009 | Pages 185-190
Dosimetry | Special Issue on the 11th International Conference on Radiation Shielding and the 15th Topical Meeting of the Radiation Protection and Shielding Division (Part 1) / Radiation Protection | doi.org/10.13182/NT09-A9123
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An array of micrometric diodes coupled to a residual energy measurement stage was proposed for solid-state microdosimetry. Each diode has a sensitive volume of a cylindrical shape (9 m in nominal diameter) in order to reproduce that simulated by a cylindrical tissue-equivalent proportional counter (TEPC). The silicon microdosimeter was irradiated coupled to a polyethylene converter with monoenergetic neutrons of several energies. The spectra of the energy imparted to the segmented telescope were corrected for tissue equivalence through an optimized procedure that exploits the information from the residual energy stage. A geometrical correction was also applied. The dose-mean lineal energy values were qualitatively compared with literature data. The silicon microdosimeter was also covered with a tissue-equivalent plastic (A150) and with a nylon converter. The results showed a contribution of heavy recoils (mainly carbon and nitrogen nuclei) generated in the tissue-equivalent plastic lower than that measured by the TEPC, owing to their stopping in the titanium-based dead layer of the silicon device.