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To advance nuclear plant simulator training, the industry must focus on a more detailed and theoretical approach to conduct of this training. The use of semiotics is one method of refining the existing training and examining ways to diversify and blend it with new theoretical methods. Semiotics is the study of signs and how humans interpret them. In instructor semiotic analysis, the two most critical areas to be examined are non-verbal feedback and verbal signs. Instructors must attempt to eliminate any non-verbal feedback, since at the moment of execution in the plant, that feedback will not be present. They must choose verbal signs carefully and characterize behavior based on facts with clear, concrete wording to elicit correct behavior. In student semiotic analysis, impact of visual and verbal signs on the student is explored. In instructional application to effectively take advantage of semiotics, one must alter one's thinking to push the bounds of one's own rationality. The goal as related to signs and processing is to produce a correct outcome based on the interpretations and understanding of these interactions. Consistency is required. Whether to train individually or in teams must be examined from the perspective of the end product. A constructivist learning environment provides consistency in operator performance during all operating conditions. (Contains 11 references) (YLB)

Ohio State University and the University of Cincinnati have collaborated on development and presentation of a team-taught course on nuclear power plant systems and operations; the course is offered to students at both universities through interactive video. This paper discusses the following lessons learned and recommendations: (1) successful presentations depend upon equipment and communication links functioning properly; (2) careful attention to classroom layout, particularly camera placement, is important; (3) use of an electronic classroom places significant additional responsibilities on instructors over traditional teaching methods; (4) it is a non-trivial matter to understand the operation and maintenance of equipment and the integrated performance of the classroom; (5) situations will arise which prevent a session from proceeding; (6) effective use of multi-media requires a greater degree of preparation and presents additional logistical problems; (7) changes in teaching style are needed if students are to actively participate; (8) coordination among instructors is required to ensure all aspects of a course are adequately carried out; (9) students and faculty both benefit from having teaching responsibility shared among faculty from two universities; and (10) working on a common project facilitated further collaboration between the universities. Future plans and improvements are also discussed. Contains 10 references. (DLS)

Nuclear power was considered vital to humanity's future until just a short time ago. Since the late seventies, economic viability has joined a list of such issues as waste disposal and radiation hazards which call into question the future of nuclear power. This document discusses (in separate sections): (1) the selling of nuclear power, including worldwide nuclear power commitments; (2) costs, including annual rate increases for nuclear construction; (3) explanations for the rising cost of nuclear power, examining such issues as mismanagement, nuclear power plant sizes, design flaws in early plants that required costly correction, and earthquake resistance; (4) decline of nuclear power programs in the United States; (5) international outlook on nuclear power development; and (6) other issues and problems. It is pointed out in the last section that the economic failings of nuclear power suggest the need for several major policy changes, including a more balanced approach in energy research and development which nuclear power has dominated in most industrial countries since the fifties. (JN)

This booklet explains the basic technology of nuclear fission power reactors, the nuclear fuel cycle, and the role of nuclear energy as one of the domestic energy resources being developed to meet the national energy demand. Major topic areas discussed include: the role of nuclear power; the role of electricity; generating electricity with the atom; nuclear power and radiation; types of nuclear reactors (boiling-water, pressurized-water, and high temperature gas-cooled reactors); breeder reactors; nuclear fuel--mining to reactor; nuclear fuel--reactor to waste disposal; transporting radioactive materials; the economics of nuclear power; and nuclear electricity in other countries. A list of selected books, reports and articles, and films is included. (JN)

A study projected employment needs created by growth and employee turnover for the nuclear power industry over the next decade. Only employment by electric utilities in the commercial generation of nuclear power was investigated. Employment data for 1981 were collected in a survey of 60 member utilities of the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations. The data were analyzed statistically to identify factors accounting for variations in power plant staffing and the number of off-site nuclear support personnel employed by a utility. Total employment in the nuclear power industry was predicted to increase from 54,400 in 1981 to 73,600 in 1991. Due to replacements, 36,300 additional employees would also be needed. As more power plants progress from design and engineering, through construction, and into full operation, more on-site employees will be needed. Megawatt capacity, number of reactor units, operation status, and projected completion dates for units under construction were identified as factors influencing the number of employees at a power plant site. Number of off-site personnel was influenced by total megawatt capacity in operation, total megawatt capacity under construction, projected completion dates for units under construction, and whether or not the utility industry does its own architect-engineering work. (Appendixes, amounting to approximately one-half of the report, include questionnaires, technical notes, and utility-projected 1991 employment.) (YLB)

The Panel on Human Factors Research Needs in Nuclear Regulatory Research was formed by the National Research Council in response to a request from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The NRC asked the research council to conduct an 18-month study of human factors research needs for the safe operation of nuclear power plants. This report describes the sociotechnical system implied by the panel's conception of human factors and outlines the factors that affect the performance of that system. It then reviews the chronology of the NRC's human factors research from 1981 to 1985. Following a brief discussion of research methodology and management, this report identifies a set of broad research areas and suggested high priority topics within these areas. Descriptions of these areas and topics, together with recommendations on the management of human factors research, form the core of this report. The panel used the potential for increased plant safety as a criterion against which to evaluate the topics considered. Nine pages of references are included. An appendix includes biographical sketches of the 16 members of the panel. (CW)

This report provides an assessment of safety issues at the Department of Energy (DOE) test and research reactors. Part A identifies six safety issues of the reactors. These issues include the safety design philosophy, the conduct of safety reviews, the performance of probabilistic risk assessments, the reliance on reactor operators, the fragmented character of the DOE management structure, and the safety implications of the current budgetary climate. Part B provides an assessment of technical issues to each of five reactors, such as: (1) Advanced Test Reactor (ATR); (2) Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBRII); (3) Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF); (4) High Flux Beam Reactor (HFBR); and (5) High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). Each section includes the recent operating history and conclusions and recommendations on the technical issues. Over 400 documents are listed in the bibliography grouped by kind of reactor. Appendices include a "Statement of Task" by DOE and National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council and "Biographical Sketches of the Members." (YP)

This report provides an assessment of safety management, safety review, and safety methodology employed by the Department of Energy (DOE) and private contractors. Chapter 1, "The DOE Safety Framework," examines safety objectives for production reactors and processes to implement the objectives. Chapter 2, "Technical Issues," focuses on a variety of potential vulnerabilities to severe accidents including acute aging phenomena, evaluation of potential accidents, power operating limits, confinement systems, and the treatment of radioactively contaminated liquid effluents at the reactors. Chapter 3, "Strengthening the Technical Basis of Reactor Safety Management," identifies ways in which the DOE approach to management of the safety of the reactors can be improved. Each subsection consists of conclusions and recommendations. Over 500 documents are listed in the bibliography. Appendices include a task statement; a list of documents about power operating limits; technical discussions on confinements, aging, effluents, cermet fuel, hydrogen generation during accidents, and the DOE safety system; safety-related provisions; and an introduction of committee members. (YP)

The most important concern in the design, construction and operation of nuclear powerplants is safety. Nuclear power is one of the major contributors to the nation's supply of electricity; therefore, it is important to assure its safe use. Each different type of powerplant has special design features and systems to protect health and safety. One safety concern that is unique to producing electricity at nuclear powerplants is the potential for accidents involving radioactivity. The safety features of a nuclear powerplant are designed to provide maximum safety and to minimize the chance of accidental emission of radiation. This publication reports on the following: (1) safety by design which includes natural safeguards, physical containment barriers, and engineered safety systems; (2) safety through planning of siting, licensing, emergency response, and insurance; (3) Three Mile Island; and (4) safety first. (RT)

Radiation is a natural energy force that has been a part of the environment since the Earth was formed. It takes various forms, none of which can be smelled, tasted, seen, heard, or felt. Nevertheless, scientists know what it is, where it comes from, how to measure and detect it, and how it affects people. Cosmic radiation from outer space and radioactive elements in rocks and soil contribute to the natural background radiation that has always been around us. There are also manmade sources of radiation, such as dental and medical x-rays, smoke detectors, and materials released from nuclear and coal-fired powerplants. Radiation comes from the activity of tiny particles (atoms) of matter. Atoms are composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons, the arrangement of which distinguishes one atom from another. Atoms of different types are called elements. Some of the elements, such as radium, uranium, and thorium are unstable. As they change into more stable forms, they release invisible waves of energy or particles. This emitting of radiation is known as radioactivity. Additional information discussed includes: ionizing types; half-life; your exposure; units of measure; devices for measuring; health effects; limits; nuclear powerplants; and uses. (RT)

Powerplant systems and procedures that ensure the day-to-day health and safety of people in and around the plant is referred to as operational safety. This safety is the result of careful planning, good engineering and design, strict licensing and regulation, and environmental monitoring. Procedures that assure operational safety at nuclear powerplants are as follows: (1) training and updating of reactor operators in procedures of powerplant operation; (2) maintenance of strict security at the powerplant; (3) control of radiation releases; (4) storage of the spent (used) fuel in deep pools of water within the powerplant to allow cooling and handling of the spent fuel by remote control; (5) certification of powerplants by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in design, construction and safe operation; and (6) ongoing inspections and environmental monitoring programs to ensure that nuclear powerplants comply with all requirements for public health, safety, and environmental protection. Topics discussed include operational safety; personnel training programs; categories of reactor operators; security; control of radiation releases; handling spent fuel; role of NRC; and sources of radiation to the United States population. (RT)

This booklet explains the basic technology of nuclear fission power reactors, the nuclear fuel cycle, and role of nuclear energy as one of the domestic energy resources being developed to meet the national energy demand. Major topic areas discussed include: (1) "The Role of Nuclear Power"; (2) "The Role of Electricity"; (3) Generating Electricity with the Atom"; (4) "Nuclear Power and Radiation"; (5) "Types of Nuclear Reactors (boiling-water, pressurized-water, and high temperature gas-cooled reactors)"; (6) "Breeder Reactors"; (7) "Nuclear Fuel-mining to Reactor"; (8) "Nuclear Fuel-reactor to Waste Disposal"; (9) "Transporting Radioactive Materials"; (10) "The Economics of Nuclear Power"; (11) "Nuclear Electricity in Other Countries"; and (12) a conclusion. Lists are included for selected books, reports, articles and pamphlets, films, and illustrations, and a glossary of related terms. (RT)

Electricity is an increasingly important part of our everyday lives. Its versatility allows one to heat, cool, and light homes; cook meals; watch television; listen to music; power computers; make medical diagnosis and treatment; explore the vastness of space; and study the tiniest molecules. Nuclear energy, second to coal, surpasses natural gas, oil, and hydroelectric power as an energy source for the production of electricity in the United States. With over 100 nuclear powerplants licensed for commercial operation, nuclear energy supplies over 16 percent of the electricity produced in the United States. Coal and nuclear energy are the two sources most capable of meeting increasing electrical needs of the United States in the foreseeable future. Provided in this pamphlet are answers to some frequently asked questions about nuclear energy to help in the understanding of this source of electricity. Sections included are: (1) "Introduction"; (2) "Nuclear Power Basics"; (3) "Radiation"; (4) "Safety"; (5) "Nuclear Waste"; and (6) "The Future." Some of the questions addressed include: "What is nuclear energy?"; "Where does radiation come from?"; "How safe are nuclear powerplants?"; "What does the term 'meltdown' mean?"; "What is nuclear waste?"; "How does the United States dispose of nuclear waste?"; and "What is the future of nuclear energy?" (RT)

There has been increased public interest in the potential effects of nuclear powerplant accidents since the Soviet reactor accident at Chernobyl. People have begun to look for more information about the amount of radioactivity that might be released into the environment as a result of such an accident. When this issue is discussed by people working in the field of nuclear energy, they often talk about the source term. This technical concept was used exclusively by scientists and members of the nuclear power industry. People have become interested in what it represents rather than the concept. The purpose of this pamphlet is to make this complex idea, the source term, meaningful in understanding nuclear powerplant safety. Topics include: (1) "Nuclear Power Plant Safety: Source Terms"; (2) "Why It's Called 'Source Term'"; (3) "Source Term Research"; (4) "Understanding Source Term Behavior"; (5) "Potential Hazards"; (6) "Design Characteristics"; (7) "Use of Source Terms"; (8) "Source Term Reassessment"; and (9) "Toward a Better Understanding." Also described are two factors indicating that in the event of an accident, less radioactivity would be released than had been estimated in previous licensing documents. (RT)

Electricity, which has largely supplanted oil as the most controversial energy issue of the 1980s, is at the center of some of the world's bitterest economic and environmental controversies. Soaring costs, high interest rates, and environmental damage caused by large power plants have wreaked havoc on the once booming electricity industry. Although policymakers around the world disagree vigorously about future trends and appropriate policies, virtually all acknowledge that a turning point has been reached. This document discusses: (1) past practices and trends leading to problems related to electric power generation and the electrical industry in the United States and foreign countries (including developing nations); (2) innovations and advances in the electrical industry related to the growth of electricity; (3) the rush to small-scale energy production and cogeneration (the combined production of heat and power), led not by utilities but by large industrial companies building their own power systems and small firms created to tap new energy sources such as wind power and geothermal energy; (4) the role of energy efficient products and practices as a power source; and (5) electricity's future. (JN)

The processes and associated dilemmas of nuclear power plant decommissioning are reviewed in this publication. Decommissioning involves the clearing up and disposal of a retired nuclear plant and its equipment of such a way as to safeguard the public from the dangers of radioactivity. Related problem areas are identified and include: (1) closure methods (discussing the options of decontamination and dismantlement, storage, and reaction of a permenent tomb); (2) high-level waste management (identifying spent fuel removal and disposal problems); (3) retired reactor disposal (citing examples of waste management systems employed in the United States and in Europe); (4) economics (providing cost estimates for major expense items); (5) savings mechanisms (proposing efforts to offset future decommissioning costs); and (6) long-term strategies (urging the need for safe disposal and decommissioning research and development programs). (ML)

Describes an empirical evaluation that investigated the criteria by which designers of human-machine systems evaluate design information. Professional designers of nuclear power plant control rooms rated hypothetical information search questions in terms of relevance, importance, cost, and effort based on Rouse's model of information search criteria. (Author/LRW)

Describes the Savannah River Site, a national environmental research park that shelters wild animals and idle nuclear reactors. Outlines research conducted at the site that focuses on the recovery of ecosystems after disturbance related to the operation of nuclear reactors and other land uses. (LZ)

After conducting a comprehensive evaluation of its curriculum, staff at the Westinghouse Nuclear Training Center in Zion, Illinois, undertook a research and development project aimed at upgrading the center's curriculum to the competency-based format. Included among the main activities of the curriculum development process were the following: completion of a study to identify the tasks performed by practicing reactor operators, identification of appropriate educational domains and taxonomies, development and sequencing of behavioral objectives, selection of a proper mode of instructional delivery, development of an effective format for curriculum materials, and evaluation of the effectiveness of the curriculum materials developed during the project. The project resulted in the development of an articulated curriculum consisting of three programs dealing with nuclear engineering technology, nuclear plant system design, and nuclear plant operations. For each separate program, instructional materials were developed that contained the following: objectives, lesson text, a summary, vocabulary, end notes, references, and a self-assessment instrument. After evaluating student performance on homework and examinations, analyzing utility training coordinator follow-up surveys, and considering the results of an external team review, researchers determined that the program has proven to be a successful means of preparing competent operations personnel. (MN)

The primary purpose of the present study was to examine how prevalent were concerns about restarting Three Mile Island nuclear reactor Unit I among people within a five-mile radius of the plant four years after the accident involving reactor Unit II. Also explored were concerns related to expectations about the restart of Unit I, perception of control, and selected demographic variables. A stratified random sample of residents of 221 households was interviewed. These were chosen from over 4,000 households in Middletown, Pennsylvania. Recent arrivals in Middletown served as a control group. Of the residents surveyed, 60 percent or more expressed some concern about each of the questions and long-time residents were more concerned than those who moved in since the accident. Concern about radioactive emissions is greater now than before the accident and focuses on the possibility of future accidents, radiation exposure during the cleanup, and developing cancer or radiation disease. Those who were residents of Middletown at the time of the accident reflect less sense of personal control over important life events and more loss of faith in experts than do recent arrivals, suggesting the impact of the accident on the sense of personal control. People's position on whether or not to restart Unit I focused more on health hazards than on political ideology about nuclear power. Slightly over half felt that it should not be restarted, a drop from two-thirds reported in 1982. (IS)