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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.
R. Bedogni, A. Esposito
Nuclear Technology | Volume 168 | Number 3 | December 2009 | Pages 615-619
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 3) / Radiation Measurements and Instrumentation | doi.org/10.13182/NT09-A9278
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In the framework of the radiation protection monitoring around DANE, the high-energy factory of the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare-Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati (INFN-LNF), a characterization of the neutron field was performed. As a suitable neutron spectrometer, a specially designed Bonner sphere system, whose energy range was extended up to hundreds mega-electron-volts by means of three spheres equipped with copper or lead inserts, was employed. The response matrix of the system was derived with MCNPX and experimentally validated with reference neutron fields. The neutron spectrum has been unfolded with the FRUIT (FRascati Unfolding Interactive Tool) code, a new unfolding code developed at INFN-LNF for the needs of operational radiation protection. This paper presents the results of the measurements in the DANE complex, underlying the achievements of the new unfolding code. Moreover, the impact of these kinds of measurements on routine radiation protection practices is briefly addressed.
