ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2026
Nuclear Technology
August 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
The human factor in licensing and operating the next generation of nuclear plants
As human factors specialists working at the intersection of human performance and nuclear operations, we are witnessing one of the nuclear sector’s most significant transitions in decades. The emergence of small modular reactors, microreactors, and other advanced designs is reshaping the industry’s landscape. Digital instrumentation and controls, passive safety systems, and increased automation are creating opportunities for greater safety margins and more flexible operation. These same features also fundamentally redefine what it means to “operate” a nuclear plant. Interactions among human roles, automation, and passive systems shape how people maintain awareness, exercise judgment, and intervene when necessary. These developments affect both operational realities and the regulatory foundations on which nuclear safety is built.
Nuclear Plant Instrumentation and Control & Human-Machine Interface Technology (NPIC&HMIT 2025)
Technical Session
Tuesday, June 17, 2025|10:00–11:45AM CDT|Chicago Ballroom E
Session Chair:
Pradeep Ramuhalli
Alternate Chair:
Brendan M. Kochunas
Session Organizer:
Xingang Zhao
To access paper attachments, you must be logged in and registered for the meeting.
Register NowLog In
A Risk-Informed Approach to Trustworthiness Assessment in Digital Twins-Based Autonomous Control
10:00–10:20AM CDT
Nicholas Cittadino (NCSU), Paridhi Athe (NCSU), Linyu Lin (INL), Nam Dinh (NCSU)
Paper
Microreactor Load-Following Reactivity Control with a Second-Order Sliding Mode Control
10:20–10:40AM CDT
Kamal K. Abdulraheem (Univ. Michigan), Sooyoung Choi (Univ. Michigan), Qicang Shen (Univ. Michigan), Brendan Kochunas (Univ. Michigan), Majdi I. Radaideh (Univ. Michigan)
Microreactor Automated Control System Test Bed Digital Architecture for Real-Time, Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation
10:40–11:00AM CDT
Jono McConnell (ORNL), Pradeep Ramuhalli (ORNL), Wesley Williams (ORNL), Andrew Heim (INL)
Predicting Reactor Response to Control Actions for Autonomous Operation Using AI/ML
11:00–11:20AM CDT
Zachery Dahm (Purdue Univ.), Konstantinos Vasili (Purdue Univ.), William Richards (Purdue Univ.), Konstantinos Gkouliaras (Purdue Univ.), Vasileos Theos (Purdue Univ.), Stylianos Chatzidakis (Purdue Univ.)
Development of a Supervisory Control System as a Transition Technology Towards Autonomy in Plant Operations
11:20–11:40AM CDT
L. Fortier (MIT), S. Cetiner (INL)