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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.
Technical Session|Technology Research and Development
Wednesday, April 29, 2026|1:00–2:00PM EDT|Room 302/303/304
Session Chair:
Julia Cline
Alternate Chair:
Vincenzo Barbato
To access paper attachments, you must be logged in and registered for the meeting.
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Sintering Behavior of Transition Metal Tetra-Carbides for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion
1:00–1:06PM EDT
Timothy Stack (Univ. Tennessee, Knoxville), Keaton McNulty (Univ. Tennessee, Knoxville), Ethan Payne (Univ. Tennessee, Knoxville), Steven Zinkle (Univ. Tennessee, Knoxville)
Paper
Thermal Hydraulics Simulations of the XE-Prime Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) Engine Using Flownex
1:06–1:12PM EDT
Miles Adkins (PADT Inc), Thomas Chadwick (PADT Inc)
TiC Precipitate Effects on the Thermal Conductivity and Fracture Toughness of Ti-Containing Tri-Carbides
1:12–1:18PM EDT
Keaton McNulty (Univ. Tennessee, Knoxville), Timothy Stack (Univ. Tennessee, Knoxville), Ethan Payne (Univ. Tennessee, Knoxville), Steven Zinkle (Univ. Tennessee, Knoxville)
Analysis of Thermophysical Properties of Fuels for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion
1:18–1:24PM EDT
Hanshu Kotta (Ohio State), Saqeeb Adnan (Ohio State), Marat Khafizov (Ohio State)
Kinetic and Reactor Modeling of Hydrogen-Graphite Interactions Under Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Conditions
1:24–1:30PM EDT
Thomas Westenhofer (Univ. California, Irvine), Xian Shi (Univ. California, Irvine)
Ion Beam Irradiation Tolerance of Ultra-High Temperature Ceramic Carbides for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion
1:30–1:36PM EDT
Ethan Payne (Univ. Tennessee, Knoxville), Steven Zinkle (Univ. Tennessee, Knoxville)
Multiphysics Modeling of Hydrogen Transport in Space Nuclear Systems with FESTIM
1:36–1:42PM EDT
Chirag Khurana (MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center), Rémi Delaporte-Mathurin (MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center), James Dark (MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center), Huihua Yang (MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center), Kaelyn Dunnell (MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center)
Graphene-Copper Hybrid Thermal Straps
1:42–1:48PM EDT
Dan Wang (Faraday Technology Inc.), Timothy Hall (Faraday Technology Inc.), Stephen Snyder (Faraday Technologies Inc.), Maria Inman (Faraday Technology Inc.), Jessica Godwin (Utah State), Nick Roberts (Utah State), Houng Le (Faraday Technology Inc.)
Preliminary Investigation into Fissile Plasma Simulation for Gas Core Nuclear Power
1:48–1:54PM EDT
Eleni Mowery (Univ. Michigan), John Foster (Univ. Michigan)
