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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.
Jae-Hyuk Eoh, Ji-Woong Han, Tae-Ho Lee, Seong-O Kim
Nuclear Technology | Volume 170 | Number 2 | May 2010 | Pages 290-305
Technical Paper | Thermal Hydraulics | doi.org/10.13182/NT10-A9484
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
To enhance the operational reliability of a purely passive decay heat removal system in KALIMER, which is named PDRC, three design options to prevent sodium freezing in an intermediate decay heat removal circuit were proposed, and their feasibilities have been studied for an entire plant operation mode. The potential candidates for the new design options are (a) the partially immersed DHX concept, (b) the cavity air cooling system-coupled PDRC concept, and (c) the advanced PDRC concept with alternative cooling medium. The design features of each concept are quantitatively evaluated in this study. For all the options, more specific design considerations were made to confirm their feasibility to properly materialize their concepts in a practical system design procedure, and the general definitions for a purely passive concept and its design features have been discussed as well.