Scientists and students develop world’s first digital twin of a nuclear reactor in Idaho
Idaho National Laboratory researchers and Idaho State University (ISU) nuclear engineering students developed the world’s first nuclear reactor “digital twin” — a virtual replica of ISU’s AGN-201 reactor — in a campus collaboration last August.
“Digital twins” are virtual models of real-life facilities, such as complex infrastructure, machines or buildings. By modeling nuclear reactors, digital twins allow researchers to understand how certain changes affect the entire system, without making an irreversible change to the physical reactor itself.
The AGN-201 reactor, which started operation in 1965, generates fewer than five watts of heat and requires no active cooling. The physical reactor has a simple and safe design intended to perform research activities and teach students the practical aspects of nuclear reactor operation.
The AGN-201 digital twin receives real-time data from the actual reactor, then uses machine learning to anticipate its performance. With the digital twin, researchers can interact with the real reactor in mixed reality by monitoring data. Someday, “digital twins” of nuclear reactors could allow operators to control the reactor remotely.
ISU students installed data acquisition equipment in the reactor and developed operation scenarios to test the reactor twin — gaining a unique opportunity to take part in the most advanced research. The lab provided much of the digital engineering support, including data acquisition, cloud streaming, machine learning and mixed reality.
Digital twins will ensure a comprehensive understanding of nuclear fuel cycle facility operations, contributing to strengthening nuclear safety and nonproliferation of mass destruction weapons.
The team presented these results to Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm in May 2023. The National Nuclear Security Administration included the project into the list as one of two big Idaho achievements in 2024.