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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.
Workshop
Thursday, April 8, 2021|4:00–6:00PM EDT
Session Chair:
Jason Hou
Alternate Chair:
Alexander W. Bataller
Session Organizer:
Edward Chen (NC State Univ.)
Track Organizer:
Session Producers:
Yuqiao Joy Fan (NCSU)
Our increasing need for safe, abundant, reliable, and carbon-free energy sources is stimulating renewed interest for employing nuclear energy to power our world. New materials and technologies that can address sustainability, cost, and waste issues of current water-based reactors is critical for realizing a future powered by the atom. Among these concepts is the utilization of molten salts as both the reactor coolant and as a fuel solvent, namely, the molten salt reactor (MSR). This workshop will provide an overview of the MSR concept and current technological challenges facing its development and deployment. On the experimental side, we will compare classical approaches to molten salt characterization with modern-day developments, with an emphasis on laser-based diagnostics. We will discuss the challenges associated with the modeling and simulation (M&S) capabilities, introduce the important physics spaces relevant to various MSR designs, and discuss the tight coupling of single physics modules to enable multi-physics simulation of the core and system.
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