scholarly journals Enhancing nuclear power plant safety via on-site mental fatigue management

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-114
Author(s):  
Ming-Kuan Tsai
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Mental Fatigue ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Brain Wave ◽  
Human Errors ◽  
Plant Safety ◽  
Fatigue Management ◽  
The Status ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant Safety

Nuclear incidents and accidents have occurred at various nuclear power plants. Since some of these incidents and accidents caused by human errors might be preventable, numerous researchers argue that fatigue management for on-site workers is the key, especially for mental fatigue. Thus, this study proposes an approach consisting of two mechanisms. A fatigue monitor could identify the mentally fatigued workers by detecting their brain wave rhythms through a brain-computer interface. For such workers, a fatigue alert would awaken them. If the status of the mentally fatigued workers becomes worse, based on a positioning technique (i.e., wireless networks), this mechanism would alert the nearby workers and managers to deal with this condition. The test results indicate that the proposed approach enhanced the capacity to examine the mentally fatigued workers, ensured the accuracy in locating these workers, and avoided possible nuclear incidents. This study is a useful reference for similar applications in the nuclear industry.

Use of Nuclear Energy and Sustainable Development

2014 ◽  
Vol 1070-1072 ◽  
pp. 353-356
Author(s):  
Fang Chen ◽  
Qiang Yao
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Plant Safety ◽  
The Status ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant Safety ◽  
Safety Operation

Nuclear energy as a clean energy, with the gradual depletion of traditional energy, is particularly important. In this paper, the status of the application of nuclear technology was reviewed. And problems during the use of nuclear energy were addressed, including environmental issue generated by radioactive mineral extraction, radwaste disposal, nuclear power plant safety operation. Although, there are still some problems in the process of nuclear energy use, undeniably nuclear energy is still the hope for the future of human society. Therefore, the technical and management improvement can achieve sustainable development of nuclear energy, in order to ensure the safety of human energy use and sustainability.

scholarly journals Application of soft computing techniques in WWER nuclear power plant safety

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-182
Author(s):  
Akbar Abbasi ◽  
Fahreddin Sadikoglu
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Soft Computing ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Plant Safety ◽  
Soft Computing Techniques ◽  
The World ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant Safety

Nowadays, Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) is one of the intended energy resources for the world requirement energy in future, and nuclear power plants provided 11 percent of the world’s electricity production in 2014. Meanwhile, nuclear power plant safety has always been one of the most critical issues in the world. In this paper, the nuclear power plant safety improvement using Soft Computing Techniques were analyzed. For this purpose, the support system based on Neuro-Fuzzy Diagnosis System (NFDs) method and Genetic Algorithms (GAs) approach were used. The obtained result showed that the first symptom is P3 (pressurizer pressure) and second order symptom is P2 (core coolant average temperature) in both approaches. The comparison between the NFDs method and the GAs approaches indicated that the GAs in data test results was faster than the NFDs results.

scholarly journals An Approach to Analyze Diagnosis Errors in Advanced Main Control Room Operations Using the Cause-Based Decision Tree Method

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (13) ◽  
pp. 3832
Author(s):  
Awwal Mohammed Arigi ◽  
Gayoung Park ◽  
Jonghyun Kim
Keyword(s):  
Decision Tree ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Human Error ◽  
Cognitive Activity ◽  
Emergency Operation ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Control Rooms ◽  
Diagnosis Errors

Advancements in the nuclear industry have led to the development of fully digitized main control rooms (MCRs)—often termed advanced MCRs—for newly built nuclear power plants (NPPs). Diagnosis is a major part of the cognitive activity in NPP MCRs. Advanced MCRs are expected to improve the working environment and reduce human error, especially during the diagnosis of unexpected scenarios. However, with the introduction of new types of tasks and errors by digital MCRs, a new method to analyze the diagnosis errors in these new types of MCRs is required. Task analysis for operator diagnosis in an advanced MCR based on emergency operation was performed to determine the error modes. The cause-based decision tree (CBDT) method—originally developed for analog control rooms—was then revised to a modified CBDT (MCBDT) based on the error mode categorizations. This work examines the possible adoption of the MCBDT method for the evaluation of diagnosis errors in advanced MCRs. We have also provided examples of the application of the proposed method to some common human failure events in emergency operations. The results show that with some modifications of the CBDT method, the human reliability in advanced MCRs can be reasonably estimated.

Effect of Creep on the Residual Stresses in Tube-to-Tubesheet Joints

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nor Eddine Laghzale ◽  
Abdel-Hakim Bouzid
Keyword(s):  
Contact Pressure ◽  
Analytical Model ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Environmental Safety ◽  
Maintenance Cost ◽  
Joint Interface ◽  
Plant Safety ◽  
Material Creep ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant Safety

Steam generators are the subject of major concern in nuclear power plant safety. Within these generators, in addition to the structural integrity, the gross tightness barrier, which separates the primary and secondary circuits, is primarily ensured by the presence of a residual contact pressure at the tube-to-tubesheet joint interface. Any leakage is unacceptable, and its consequences are very heavy in terms of the human and environmental safety as well as maintenance cost. Some studies have been conducted to understand the main reasons for such a failure. However, no analytical model able to predict the attenuation of the residual contact pressure under the effect of material creep relaxation behavior. The development of a simple analytical model able to predict the change of the residual contact pressure as a function of time is laid out in this paper. The results from the analytical model are checked and compared with those of finite elements.

Inservice Testing Program Improvements for New Reactors Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald C. Lippy
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Regulatory Commission ◽  
The United States ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Small Modular Reactors ◽  
American Society ◽  
Construction Permit ◽  
Regulatory Commission

The nuclear industry is preparing for the licensing and construction of new nuclear power plants in the United States. Several new designs have been developed and approved, including the “traditional” reactor designs, the passive safe shutdown designs and the small modular reactors (SMRs). The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) provides specific Codes used to perform preservice inspection/testing and inservice inspection/testing for many of the components used in the new reactor designs. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviews information provided by applicants related to inservice testing (IST) programs for Design Certifications and Combined Licenses (COLs) under Part 52, “Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants,” in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Part 52) (Reference 1). The 2012 Edition of the ASME OM Code defines a post-2000 plant as a nuclear power plant that was issued (or will be issued) its construction permit, or combined license for construction and operation, by the applicable regulatory authority on or following January 1, 2000. The New Reactors OM Code (NROMC) Task Group (TG) of the ASME Code for Operation and Maintenance of Nuclear Power Plants (NROMC TG) is assigned the task of ensuring that the preservice testing (PST) and IST provisions in the ASME OM Code to address pumps, valves, and dynamic restraints (snubbers) in post-2000 nuclear power plants are adequate to provide reasonable assurance that the components will operate as needed when called upon. Currently, the NROMC TG is preparing proposed guidance for the treatment of active pumps, valves, and dynamic restraints with high safety significance in non-safety systems in passive post-2000 reactors including SMRs.

Architecting “Maintenance Program” for Piping and Pipe Support

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koichi Tsumori ◽  
Yoshizumi Fukuhara ◽  
Hiroyuki Terunuma ◽  
Koji Yamamoto ◽  
Satoshi Momiyama
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Maintenance Management ◽  
3D Cad ◽  
Cad System ◽  
Nuclear Disaster ◽  
Safety Regulations ◽  
Maintenance Program

A new inspection standard that enhanced quality of operating /maintenance management of the nuclear power plant was introduced in 2009. After the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster (Mar. 11th 2011), the situation surrounding the nuclear industry has dramatically changed, and the requirement for maintenance management of nuclear power plants is pushed for more stringent nuclear safety regulations. The new inspection standard requires enhancing equipment maintenance. It is necessary to enhance maintenance of not only equipment but also piping and pipe support. In this paper, we built the methodology for enhancing maintenance plan by rationalizing and visualizing of piping and pipe support based on the “Maintenance Program” in cooperating with 3D-CAD system.

Research Progress on Radiation Shielding Concrete

2012 ◽  
Vol 253-255 ◽  
pp. 303-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Yang ◽  
Zhen Fu Chen ◽  
Yuan Chu Gan ◽  
Qiu Wang Tao
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
Material Properties ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Radiation Shielding ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Research Progress ◽  
Concrete Durability ◽  
Technology Research ◽  
Shielding Material

Radiation shielding concrete is widely used in nuclear power plants, accelerators, hospitals, etc. With the development of nuclear industry technology, research on radiation shielding material properties is of great importance. Research on properties of radiation shielding concrete with different aggregates or admixtures and the effect of high temperature on the performance of shielding concrete are introduced. Along with the nuclear waste increase, shielding concrete durability and nuclear waste disposal are getting paramount.

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