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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.
Sunday, June 12, 2022|8:00AM–12:00PM PDT
Avila B
Requirements for Attendees: No requirements; however, attendees with SCALE 6.2 (or more recent) can participate in UQ demos, and attendees with SCALE 6.2.2 (or more recent) can participate in UQ & parametric studies demos.
Summary Paragraph: This tutorial will introduce the capabilities of the Sampler sequence, available starting in SCALE 6.2. The initial implementation of Sampler included uncertainty quantification (UQ) based on Monte Carlo sampling of multigroup nuclear data or input parameters in any SCALE sequence. The tutorial will touch on nuclear data sampling but will focus on UQ for input materials and geometry descriptions in criticality safety models. The Sampler sequence was expanded in the 6.2.2 update to include a parametric study capability. This capability is particularly useful for nuclear criticality safety evaluations and has been used extensively in recent work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Demonstrations of both the UQ and parametric capabilities will be included. Attendees with licensed copies of SCALE 6.2 installed on their devices will be able to follow along with presenters in the demonstrations.