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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|Miami/Scottsdale
Session Chair:
Xingang Zhao
Alternate Chair:
Syed Bahauddin Alam
Session Organizer:
Hyun Gook Kang
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From Simulation to Degradation Estimation: A Digital Twin Case Study of Feedwater Heater
3:15–3:35PM CDT
Yeni Li (ANL), Akshay J. Dave (ANL), Thomas W. Elmer (ANL), Richard B. Vilim (ANL)
Paper
Heat Pipe CFD Model Validation & Data Generation Strategy to Aid Real-Time Prediction with Neural Operators
3:35–3:55PM CDT
Jack Gerrity (Univ. Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), Arnav Goyal (Univ. Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), Logan Schultz (Univ. Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), Farid Ahmed (Univ. Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), Kazuma Kobayashi (Univ. Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), Syed Bahauddin Alam (Univ. Illinois, Urbana-Champaign)
Implementation and Demonstration of the Digital-Twin Certification System Remote-Operations Framework
3:55–4:15PM CDT
Joseph Oncken (INL), Thomas Ulrich (INL), Jack Cavaluzzi (INL)
Securing SDN-Based Advanced Reactors Against DDoS Attacks Using Quantum-Inspired Ensemble Models
4:15–4:35PM CDT
Jahangir Alam (UTEP), Ismail Hossain (UTEP), Sai Puppala (National Center for Supercomputing Applications), Kazuma Kobayashi (National Center for Supercomputing Applications), Samrendra Roy (National Center for Supercomputing Applications), Syed Bahauddin Alam (UIUC), Sajedul Talukder (UTEP)
Digital Controls and Simulation Driven Digital Twins
4:35–4:55PM CDT
Robert T. England (Curtiss-Wright Nuclear Division)
Risk-Informed Graded Approach for Reliability and Performance Assessment of Sensor and Instrumentation Systems Within Advanced Condition Monitoring Technologies
4:55–5:15PM CDT
Edward Chen (INL), Vaibhav Yadav (INL), Vivek Agarwal (INL)