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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.
Héctor René Vega-Carrillo, Eduardo Gallego, Alfredo Lorente
Nuclear Technology | Volume 168 | Number 2 | November 2009 | Pages 359-363
Neutron Measurements | Special Issue on the 11th International Conference on Radiation Shielding and the 15th Topical Meeting of the Radiation Protection and Shielding Division (Part 2) / Radiation Measurements and Instrumentation | doi.org/10.13182/NT09-A9209
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Using Monte Carlo methods the response matrix of a Bonner sphere spectrometer with a 6LiI scintillator has been calculated. The response functions were calculated for the bare detector and for polyethylene spheres 5.08, 7.62, 12.7, 20.32, 25.4, and 30.48 cm in diameter. Twenty-three beams of monoenergetic neutrons were used as sources in the energy interval from 0.025 eV to 100 MeV. The response functions were interpolated to energy points of those calculated in earlier literature works and compared with two response functions reported in the literature; good agreement was found from this comparison. The main differences were found for neutrons with energies higher than 20 MeV and, to a minor extent, for low-energy neutrons as well. These differences are mainly attributed to the cross-section libraries utilized in the different studies.