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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.
Jean-Claude Nimal
Nuclear Technology | Volume 168 | Number 2 | November 2009 | Pages 405-410
Shielding | 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 Protection | doi.org/10.13182/NT09-A9217
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
NAÏADE 1 shielding experiments were performed in the shielding laboratory at the Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (French Atomic Energy Commission) in Fontenay aux Roses during the period 1965-1970. These experiments consisted of studying either the pure thermal neutron attenuation or the fission neutron attenuation in various materials such as water, iron, graphite, concrete, and multilayer shields. A reassessment of the experimental results was made between 2003 and 2005, and the results were evaluated again during the period 2007-2008. For each experimental configuration, the fission neutron source of a converter was calculated by using the TRIdimensionel POLYcinétique (TRIPOLI-4) Monte Carlo code. A part of the experimental results has been compared to the results of TRIPOLI-4. This work will be continued to analyze other benchmarks with integration into the Shielding INtegral Benchmark Archive Database (SINBAD).