The use of simulators in human factors studies within the nuclear industry

As novel nuclear power plant control rooms and hybrid control room upgrades are proposed in the nuclear industry, there is an increasing need for quality simulator data on operator performance in the nuclear industry, both to understand and to document current performance and to prepare for novel plant control rooms and hybrid control room upgrades. This chapter explores simulator types and the research questions appropriate for control room simulators. It contrasts the roles for training and research simulators and suggests key ways in which these simulators can contribute to human factors research in the nuclear industry.