August 3, 2022 – Sargent & Lundy is participating in the American Nuclear Society (ANS) Utility Working Conference and Technology Expo (UWC) taking place August 7-10 at the JW Marriott Marco Island in Marco Island, Florida. ANS is a leading organization promoting the nuclear engineering field and related disciplines. This year’s conference theme is “Net Zero Needs Nuclear.”

Ryan Reinke and Pareez Golub from Sargent & Lundy’s nuclear power business will participate in a total of three panel discussions. Reinke, an experienced instrumentation and controls (I&C) professional in the nuclear sector, will support two sessions on Monday, August 8. Golub, a leader in digital controls engineering and licensing for the nuclear industry, will support one on Tuesday, August 9.

The panels in which they’re participating will discuss improvements to nuclear fleet operations for cost savings and equipment reliability. Attendees will learn how nuclear utilities have opportunities to leverage technology in a cost-effective way to improve fleet performance and reliability while reducing operations and maintenance (O&M) costs. The panels will consider incorporating a digital modernization strategy and leveraging performance monitoring and diagnostic (PM&D) centers.

Reinke will contribute insight on the following panels Monday, August 8:

“Leveraging New Reactor Innovations for Operating Reactors,” from 10:30 a.m. to noon EDT, will discuss ways to help current nuclear power plant (NPP) assets become more efficient, including:

• New fuel and material applications.
• Engineering and construction innovations.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology used for operations enhancement-including simulation.
• Digital technology.
• Security staff efficiency improvements.
• Emergency planning arrangements.

 “Cost Reduction Opportunities Adapted from Wider-Adjacent Nuclear Industry,” from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. EDT, will review wider nuclear industry cost reduction and efficiency improvement methods, including:

• Radio assay assessments designed to cut down on dose.
• 4D CAD engineering and construction innovations such as used to design most current U.S. Naval Reactors submarines.
• AI technology used for security operations enhancement for nuclear and other U.S. government agencies.
• Wider grid stability improvements in both security and reliability to benefit NPPs.
• Emergency planning zones (EPZ) and more efficient emergency planning arrangements.

On Tuesday, August 9, Golub will co-chair the panel, “Utilizing Monitoring and Diagnostics Centers to Improve Equipment Reliability,” from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. EDT. It will explore current and future uses of PM&D center technology. This includes how equipment monitoring and data analytics enhance the identification, diagnosis, and elimination of plant and equipment performance issues. Panelists will provide overview of their facility’s capabilities and examples of “catches” as well as plans for effective use of plant equipment data. Other discussion topics include:

• Optimizing nuclear facility maintenance.
• Data governance and data democratization.
• Using PM&D centers to support condition-based maintenance (CBM) efforts.

As a conference sponsor, Sargent & Lundy looks forward to continuing these discussions with conference attendees as they relate to our proven capabilities in the nuclear sector in engineering, design, analysis, compliance, project management, and more. We offer a full range of services to help our clients execute new plant projects, including full-scope licensing support, engineering, design, field support, and comprehensive project management.

Learn more about the conference here.

More
Nuclear Services at Sargent & Lundy

Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative: New Coalition Explores Solutions for Decarbonization

White Paper: The Viability of Nuclear Plant Process Heat for Industrial Usage