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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.
Alexandra Knapp, Torsten Radon, Karsten Vogt, Georg Fehrenbacher
Nuclear Technology | Volume 168 | Number 2 | November 2009 | Pages 487-491
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-A9230
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In the next years the Gesellschaft fuer Schwerionenforschung and international partners will realize the new international accelerator Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) for research with heavy ions, radioactive ions, and antiprotons. Two important storage rings of FAIR are the collector ring (CR) and the recycled experimental storage ring (RESR), which are located together in the same building: The CR is optimized for fast cooling of heavy ions and antiprotons, while the RESR is mainly used for accumulation of antiprotons.The concrete shielding for the CR and RESR is presented on the basis of several Monte Carlo simulations for radiation transport with the latest version of the FLUKA code. Extensive shielding calculations had to be done because of diverse beam types including different locations of beam losses. The goal of the simulations is to reveal possible weak points in the shielding and to ensure a dose rate outside the storage rings and in the technical supplies' room to a value of <0.5 Sv/h so that this area is accessible without any restrictions.