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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.
Keitaro Kondo, Isao Murata, Axel Klix, Klaus Seidel, Hartwig Freiesleben
Nuclear Technology | Volume 168 | Number 3 | December 2009 | Pages 591-595
Nuclear Data | Special Issue on the 11th International Conference on Radiation Shielding and the 15th Topical Meeting of the Radiation Protection and Shielding Division (PART 3) / Radiation Measurements and Instrumentation | doi.org/10.13182/NT09-A9274
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
For the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), the European Union intends to introduce a test blanket module using liquid lithium lead. In the present study, a preliminary experiment was conducted using a LiAl/Pb assembly, which has a neutronics performance similar to lithium lead. The neutron spectrum at the inside of the assembly was measured with an NE-213 detector. We found that the spectra calculated with MCNP5 and JENDL-3.3 underestimate the 14-MeV peak by no less than 30%, while ENDF/B-VII.0 and JEFF-3.1 gave good agreement. The neutron nuclear data of lead stored in JENDL-3.3 may have some problems.
