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Critical Exposure Pathways: An Analysis of the Environmental Impact of Gaseous Effluents from Light-Water-Cooled Reactors
Title
Critical Exposure Pathways: An Analysis of the Environmental Impact of Gaseous Effluents from Light-Water-Cooled Reactors.
Creator
Danna, Robert, McLellon, Waldron M., Engineering
Abstract / Description
University of Central Florida College of Engineering Thesis; The analysis of the environmental impact of routine radioactive gaseous releases from operating nuclear power stations is discussed using a radiation dose assessment. This analysis includes a discussion of the origin of radionuclide effluents, a discussion of federal policies, and a calculation of radiation doses to man. A model of estimating the radioactive dose from gaseous effluents from light-water-cooled reactors is described...
Show moreUniversity of Central Florida College of Engineering Thesis; The analysis of the environmental impact of routine radioactive gaseous releases from operating nuclear power stations is discussed using a radiation dose assessment. This analysis includes a discussion of the origin of radionuclide effluents, a discussion of federal policies, and a calculation of radiation doses to man. A model of estimating the radioactive dose from gaseous effluents from light-water-cooled reactors is described using guidelines described in the Code of Federal Regulations and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Regulatory Guides. The environmental impact of these sources is then analyzed using dose rates calculated along critical exposure pathways for various radioactive nuclides. Examples are given using ractors that have been heretofore documented in the literature. the major radionuclides in the airborne effluents from a PWR, used as an example are noble gases, H-3, radioiodines, and radioactive particles. The results from the methodologies described in this paper are compared to federal radiation limits
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Date Issued
1979
Identifier
CFR0008134, ucf:52949
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFR0008134
Assessing the Effectiveness of Workload Measures in the Nuclear Domain
Title
Assessing the Effectiveness of Workload Measures in the Nuclear Domain.
Creator
Mercado, Joseph, Reinerman, Lauren, Hancock, Peter, Lackey, Stephanie, Szalma, James, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
An operator's performance and mental workload when interacting with a complex system, such as the main control room (MCR) of a nuclear power plant (NPP), are major concerns when seeking to accomplish safe and successful operations. The impact of performance on operator workload is one of the most widely researched areas in human factors science with over five hundred workload articles published since the 1960s (Brannick, Salas, (&) Prince, 1997; Meshkati (&) Hancock, 2011). Researchers have...
Show moreAn operator's performance and mental workload when interacting with a complex system, such as the main control room (MCR) of a nuclear power plant (NPP), are major concerns when seeking to accomplish safe and successful operations. The impact of performance on operator workload is one of the most widely researched areas in human factors science with over five hundred workload articles published since the 1960s (Brannick, Salas, (&) Prince, 1997; Meshkati (&) Hancock, 2011). Researchers have used specific workload measures across domains to assess the effects of taskload. However, research has not sufficiently assessed the psychometric properties, such as reliability, validity, and sensitivity, which delineates and limits the roles of these measures in workload assessment (Nygren, 1991). As a result, there is no sufficiently effective measure for indicating changes in workload for distinct tasks across multiple domains (Abich, 2013). Abich (2013) was the most recent to systematically test the subjective and objective workload measures for determining the universality and sensitivity of each alone or in combination. This systematic approach assessed taskload changes within three tasks in the context of a military intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The purpose for the present experiment was to determine if certain workload measures are sufficiently effective across domains by taking the findings from one domain (military) and testing whether those results hold true in a different domain, that of nuclear. Results showed that only two measures (NASA-TLX frustration and fNIR) were sufficiently effective at indicating workload changes between the three task types in the nuclear domain, but many measures were statistically significant. The results of this research effort combined with the results from Abich (2013) highlight an alarming problem. The ability of subjective and physiological measures to indicate changes in workload varies across tasks (Abich, 2013) and across domain. A single measure is not able to measure the complex construct of workload across different tasks within the same domain or across domains. This research effort highlights the importance of proper methodology. As researchers, we have to identify the appropriate workload measure for all tasks regardless of the domain by investigating the effectiveness of each measure. The findings of the present study suggest that responsible science include evaluating workload measures before use, not relying on prior research or theory. In other words, results indicate that it is only acceptable to use a measure based on prior findings if research has tested that measure on the exact task and manipulations within that specific domain.
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Date Issued
2014
Identifier
CFE0005666, ucf:50188
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005666
Investigating the Impact of Levels of Experience on Workload During Nuclear Power Plant Operations
Title
Investigating the Impact of Levels of Experience on Workload During Nuclear Power Plant Operations.
Creator
Harris, Jonathan, Reinerman, Lauren, Karwowski, Waldemar, Hancock, Peter, Barber, Daniel, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The human-machine interface (HMI) of a Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Main Control Room (MCR) is complex. Understanding HMI factors that influence Reactor Operator (RO) performance and workload when controlling an NPP is important. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) began a program of research known as the Human Performance Test Facility (HPTF) with the goal of collecting human performance data to better understand cognitive and physical elements that support safe control room operation. The...
Show moreThe human-machine interface (HMI) of a Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Main Control Room (MCR) is complex. Understanding HMI factors that influence Reactor Operator (RO) performance and workload when controlling an NPP is important. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) began a program of research known as the Human Performance Test Facility (HPTF) with the goal of collecting human performance data to better understand cognitive and physical elements that support safe control room operation. The HPTF team developed an experimental methodology to evaluate workload using perceived ratings, performance measures, and physiological correlates. This methodology focuses on tasks commonly performed during operations in an NPP. These tasks include monitoring plant parameters, following defined procedures, and manipulating controls to change the state of the NPP. O'Hara and colleagues developed a framework for task classification. Reinerman-Jones and colleagues modified this framework such that monitoring and detection are separate task types. The task types (i.e., checking, detection, and response implementation) selected for experimentation are composed of steps within defined operating procedures that are rule-based. Testing workload using sufficient numbers of ROs is impractical due to limited availability. The HPTF has developed the (")equal but different(") principle. This principle attempts to simplify complex tasks, such that novices can perform them and experience equivalent workload trends as an expert would when performing the original task. The validity of using the (")equal but different(") principle with novices in place of experts is uncertain. This research addresses this uncertainty by comparing novices and experts using the (")equal but different(") principle. Novices performed four tasks within each of the three task types using a simplified Instrument and Control (I(&)C) panel and a reduced 3-way communication instruction set. Experts performed the same four tasks within each task type with a fully configured I(&)C panel and a complete 3-way instruction set. Overall, the experts across the three task types tended to rate level of perceived workload lower than novices. However, experts also rated themselves as performing worse for the three task types than novices. Experts performed better than novices when it came to identifying correct I(&)C; however, their 3-way communication performance was worse. Physiological measures from EEG between the two groups were not statistically different. ECG findings did show a slight difference.The methodology and associated findings has applicability for MCR designs and regulation recommendations. Novice populations are easier to access than experts and the present research shows that when properly designed, novices can serve in complex operator positions.
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Date Issued
2017
Identifier
CFE0006946, ucf:51634
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006946
An SoS Conceptual Model, LVC Simulation Framework, and a Prototypical Implementation of Unmanned System Interventions for Nuclear Power Plant Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Mitigation
Title
An SoS Conceptual Model, LVC Simulation Framework, and a Prototypical Implementation of Unmanned System Interventions for Nuclear Power Plant Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Mitigation.
Creator
Davis, Matthew, Proctor, Michael, O'Neal, Thomas, Reilly, Charles, Sulfredge, C., Smith, Roger, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Nuclear power plant disasters can have severe and far-reaching consequences, thus emergency managers and first responders from utility owners to the DoD must be prepared to respond to and mitigate effects protecting the public and environment from further damage. Rapidly emerging unmanned systems promise significant improvement in response and mitigation of nuclear disasters. Models and simulations (M(&)S) may play a significant role in improving readiness and reducing risks through its use...
Show moreNuclear power plant disasters can have severe and far-reaching consequences, thus emergency managers and first responders from utility owners to the DoD must be prepared to respond to and mitigate effects protecting the public and environment from further damage. Rapidly emerging unmanned systems promise significant improvement in response and mitigation of nuclear disasters. Models and simulations (M(&)S) may play a significant role in improving readiness and reducing risks through its use in planning, analysis, preparation training, and mitigation rehearsal for a wide spectrum of derivate scenarios. Legacy nuclear reactor M(&)S lack interoperability between themselves and avatar or agent-based simulations of emergent unmanned systems. Bridging the gap between past and the evolving future, we propose a conceptual model (CM) using a System of System (SoS) approach, a simulation federation framework capable of supporting concurrent and interoperating live, virtual and constructive simulation (LVC), and demonstrate a prototypical implementation of an unmanned system intervention for nuclear power plant disaster using the constructive simulation component. The SoS CM, LVC simulation framework, and prototypical implementation are generalizable to other preparedness, response, and mitigation scenarios. The SoS CM broadens the current stovepipe reactor-based simulations to a system-of-system perspective. The framework enables distributed interoperating simulations with a network of legacy and emergent avatar and agent simulations. The unmanned system implementation demonstrates feasibility of the SoS CM and LVC framework through replication of selective Fukushima events. Further, the system-of-systems approach advances life cycle stages including concept exploration, system design, engineering, training, and mission rehearsal. Live, virtual, and constructive component subsystems of the CM are described along with an explanation of input/output requirements. Finally, applications to analysis and training, an evaluation of the SoS CM based on recently proposed criteria found in the literature, and suggestions for future research are discussed.
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Date Issued
2017
Identifier
CFE0006732, ucf:51879
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006732