Leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve efficiency and enhance the economic sustainability of U.S. nuclear plants will be the subject of an upcoming presentation by Sargent & Lundy’s Christianna Howard at this week’s Plant Modernization Pathway Stakeholder Engagement Virtual Meeting.
Howard, a leading industry authority on digital instrumentation and controls and human factors engineering, is among a select group invited by Idaho National Laboratory to speak as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program. The three-day virtual conference brings industry leaders together with utility officials, vendors, researchers, and regulators to discuss studies and solutions for modernizing aging nuclear power plants while reducing technical and financial risks.
In her presentation, “A Risk and Economics-Informed Evaluation of Work Management Automation Technologies,” scheduled for Dec. 4 at 10:30 a.m. EST, Howard will discuss how nuclear operators can achieve significant improvements in process efficiency, quality, and decision-making using AI/ML technologies. Based on her work with Sargent & Lundy in collaboration with Southern Nuclear Company and INL, Howard’s presentation focuses on the strategic selection and implementation of AI/ML technologies to drive continuous process improvements through predictive analytics, anomaly detection, process optimization, and automation to help identify bottlenecks, reduce errors, optimize resources, and streamline repetitive tasks.
Howard is among a team at Sargent & Lundy that is trailblazing efforts to modernize the U.S. nuclear fleet as utilities seek approvals for subsequent license renewals to extend the safe and efficient life of nuclear power plants. The firm is a leader in nuclear power digital modernization, having recently performed over 300 large digital upgrades. Our innovation-driven digital modernization and consulting specialists deliver cost-effective strategies that provide a common framework for our clients’ modernization initiatives.
