September 22, 2026
Report

Programmable Digital Devices used in Advanced Reactors

Abstract

This paper introduces the concepts of common cause failure, diversity, and defense-in-depth used by the nuclear industry to analyze resilience in reactors. A survey of publicly traded and private companies building advanced reactors and their licensing status is presented. Safety and non-safety systems found in the NuScale Power design are summarized and the likely hardware and software categories used by those systems are enumerated. The importance of industry partners is highlighted. This paper also identifies an alternate path forward without industry partners to advance the knowledge needed to use artificial intelligence to analyze HBOMs and SBOMs to better understand reactor resiliency.

Published: September 22, 2026

Citation

Hutton W.J., C.G. Roth, and F.A. de Peralta. 2026. Programmable Digital Devices used in Advanced Reactors. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. PNNL-39500.