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Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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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
Monday, June 16, 2025|3:15–5:15PM CDT|Chicago Ballroom E
Session Chair:
Brendan Kochunas
Alternate Chair:
Jamie B. Coble
Session Organizer:
Hyun Gook Kang
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The Automatic Reactor Control System (ARCS) Upgrade, Version 2.0 for TREAT
3:15–3:35PM CDT
Benjamin Baker (INL), Andrew Heim (INL), Jacob Hansen (INL), Kirby Hanson (INL), Benjamin Chase (INL)
Presented by Vivek Agarwal (INL)
Paper
Towards An FPGA Asynchronous Motor V/f Control Applied on Safety Functions for Nuclear Systems
3:35–3:55PM CDT
Eduardo Couto Montenegro (EDF), Melha Bitam (EDF R&D), Youcef Mekahlia (EDF R&D)
Demonstration of Methodology for Advanced Autonomous Control in Flexible Power Operation of Multi-Unit SMRs
3:55–4:15PM CDT
Brendan Kochunas (Univ. Michigan), Qicang Shen (Univ. Michigan), Jamie Coble (Univ. Tennessee, Knoxville), Ben Lindley (Univ. Wisconsin, Madison)
A Study on Co-Existing Heterogeneous Wireless Networks for Data Transmission within a Nuclear Facility
4:15–4:35PM CDT
S.A. Mahmud (Univ. Utah), I. Nasim (INL), V. Agarwal (INL), S. Kasera (Univ. Utah), M. Ji (Univ. Utah)
Enhancing Autonomous Control of Microreactors Using Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning
4:35–4:55PM CDT
Leo Tunkle (Univ. Michgan), Kamal Abdulraheem (Univ. Michgan), Linyu Lin (INL), Majdi I. Radaideh (Univ. Michigan)
Mitigating Error Dependency with Hybrid System Operation: Quantifying Human Reliability Analysis
4:55–5:15PM CDT
Zeth duBois (University of Idaho), Roger Lew (University of Idaho), Anna C. Hall (INL), Ronald L. Boring (INL)