Advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies have been tremendous in the last decade, but AI applications specific to nuclear power generation have been lagging.
However, there are abundant potential use cases for AI in the nuclear sector, a theme of one panel at POWERGEN International, which is February 11-13, 2025, in Dallas, Texas.
The panel, “AI in Nuclear: Unfulfilled Promise or Just Getting Started?,” will explore how we can build a foundation for the next wave of AI innovation in nuclear power. It will feature Joshua Guzman Bell, Nuclear Technology & Innovation Consultant for Dominion Energy; Forrest Shriver, CEO of Sentinel Devices; and Greg Alder, Director of Plant Optimization for Curtiss-Wright.
Shriver, whose company offers OTAware, a monitoring platform designed to reduce equipment downtime, told Power Engineering he plans to discuss thecutting-edge applications being seen in the nuclear industry, as well as what Sentinel is doing to move AI-driven predictive maintenance forward.
“I think it’s very important for power producers to get an understanding of what’s out there and what’s being done at a high level in AI applications for industry, so they can better understand how to parse and judge the trends that are at the heart of the decisions they have to make every day,” said Shriver. “If you know the field, and know how the pieces move, you can be much more prepared to intelligently react and make decisions based on new information.”
Shriver highlighted the critical need for offline-first AI solutions to address the unique challenges faced by power producers. These companies often have strict cybersecurity requirements that prevent the use of standard off-the-shelf software, or they operate assets in remote locations where 24/7 data streaming is impractical.
Shriver said current AI solutions tend to be cloud-centric, with no clear middle ground between fully on-premises infrastructure and full cloud dependence.
“I’ll be talking a bit about how we’re solving that challenge,” he continued, “but I really do think it’s one of the wider unanswered questions at the moment for power producers that are sensitive about cybersecurity.”
“AI in Nuclear: Unfulfilled Promise or Just Getting Started?” is scheduled for Thursday, February 13 at 11:30 am – 12:30 pm as part of the Nuclear’s Evolution track.
Register for the POWERGEN technical conference program here.
