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A Dual Full-Scope and Reduced-Scope Microworld Simulator Approach to Evaluate the Human Factors of a Coupled Hydrogen Production Concept of Operations

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Advances in Simulation and Digital Human Modeling (AHFE 2021)

Abstract

Simulators serve as a valuable human factors research tool for control room modernization as nuclear power plants continue to upgrade their analog technology with digital equivalents. Beyond upgrades, plants are beginning to explore alternative concepts of operation including using their thermal output for chemical processes. These upgrades represent more substantial plant modifications and mandate new human factors techniques to develop and evaluate the HSIs, procedures, and operations required to control the new systems. This paper describes the strategy and use of a full-scope and reduced-scope simulator in a comprehensive research approach to develop the concept of operations. Specifically, the full-scope simulator serves as a means to extract invaluable operational knowledge from operators and the reduced-scope simulator, namely the Rancor microworld, serves as a means to address targeted human factors issues and is sufficiently flexible to be more easily integrated with small scale physical test beds than the full-scope counterpart.

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Acknowledgments

This work of authorship was prepared as an account of work sponsored by Idaho National Laboratory (under Contract DE-AC07-05ID14517), an agency of the U.S. Government. Neither the U.S. Government, nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights.

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Correspondence to Thomas A. Ulrich .

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Ulrich, T.A. et al. (2021). A Dual Full-Scope and Reduced-Scope Microworld Simulator Approach to Evaluate the Human Factors of a Coupled Hydrogen Production Concept of Operations. In: Wright, J.L., Barber, D., Scataglini, S., Rajulu, S.L. (eds) Advances in Simulation and Digital Human Modeling. AHFE 2021. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 264. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79763-8_21

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