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Division Spotlight
Isotopes & Radiation
Members are devoted to applying nuclear science and engineering technologies involving isotopes, radiation applications, and associated equipment in scientific research, development, and industrial processes. Their interests lie primarily in education, industrial uses, biology, medicine, and health physics. Division committees include Analytical Applications of Isotopes and Radiation, Biology and Medicine, Radiation Applications, Radiation Sources and Detection, and Thermal Power Sources.
Meeting Spotlight
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025)
February 3–6, 2025
Amelia Island, FL|Omni Amelia Island Resort
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Christmas Night
Twas the night before Christmas when all through the houseNo electrons were flowing through even my mouse.
All devices were plugged in by the chimney with careWith the hope that St. Nikola Tesla would share.
Pedro Trueba-Alonso, Cristina Corrales-Quirós, Julio Méndez-Salguero (Tecnatom S.A.)
Proceedings | Nuclear Plant Instrumentation, Control, and Human-Machine Interface Technolgies (NPIC&HMIT 2019) | Orlando, FL, February 9-14, 2019 | Pages 1755-1768
The design and construction new Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) as well as their modifications need to address Human Factors Engineering (HFE) considerations, coming as a requirement from nuclear regulatory bodies. For new plants in the United States (US), HFE considerations must be addressed as part of Chapter 18 of any plant Safety Analysis Report, following guidance coming from regulatory guide RG 1.206, NUREG-0800 and NUREG-0711 [Ref. 1], the latter with the deepest level of detail for each of the activities described The afore mentioned HFE regulations have been developed for application in the US plants, but many other nuclear regulatory bodies in the world endorse these US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations, as for now they provide the most detailed guidance in this field, compared to other Nuclear Standards associated to HFE. Element 10 of NUREG-0711 [Ref. 1], addresses the HFE Verification and Validation (V&V) activities with the objective to comprehensively determine that the HFE design conforms to HFE design principles and that it enables plant personnel to successfully perform their tasks for assuring plant safety and operational goals. One of the main activities of this Element is Integrated System Validation, for determining if an integrated system’s design (i.e., hardware, software, and personnel elements) meet plant operation objectives, performance requirements, supporting safe plant operation. This paper shows the experience and lessons learned by Tecnatom in the development of new NPP control rooms and design modifications in existing control rooms, always in relation to HFE, and focusing in multistage Validation approaches. In Tecnatom’s experience, the use of multistage validations is the most effective way to ensure that the final product meets the HFE requirements. The paper will include examples and lessons learned in new design and modification projects completed by Tecnatom. The paper ends summarizing: 1. The benefits obtained from the executions of a multistage validation approach. 2. The need to develop guidance related to this approach. The description of benefits and needs has always the objective of facilitate future execution of projects in new builds or design modifications, where HFE can contribute to obtain the best results, products and designs, from a technical and economical viewpoint.