Engineers are conducting experiments at Purdue University Reactor Number One, a facility that generates about the equivalent of 10 microwaves yet is important for the future of nuclear power. Though modest in output, the reactor is unique as the nation’s only all-digital installation, a distinction earned in 2019 that positions it as a testing ground for technologies intended for future plants. Purdue engineers are leveraging this digital infrastructure to explore capabilities that could lower costs, increase safety, and extend reactor lifespan. Seungjin Kim, the Capt. McCarthy Head of Purdue’s School of Nuclear Engineering and facility director of PUR-1, explained that researchers aim to accelerate the deployment of advanced reactors and carbon-free electricity generation.
PUR-1: Nation’s First All-Digital Nuclear Reactor
While the reactor’s physical output remains modest, its significance lies in the advanced capabilities it possesses, features that will define the next generation of nuclear plants. Purdue’s reactor gained these digital capabilities in 2019, positioning it as a vital facility for exploring applications of artificial intelligence, remote monitoring, autonomous control, and advanced cybersecurity techniques. The shift towards digital control, replacing traditional dials and knobs with computer screens, keyboards, and ethernet cables, is not merely a technological upgrade, but a fundamental reimagining of reactor operation. This transition promises to lower operating and maintenance costs, enhance safety protocols, and extend the lifespan of future reactors, addressing key barriers to wider adoption of carbon-free electricity generation. Researchers are actively developing new techniques leveraging these digital features, aligning with broader university efforts to advance nuclear energy investigations.
A key innovation at PUR-1 is the creation of a digital twin of the reactor, completed in 2023 by the lab of Purdue nuclear engineering assistant professor and associate PUR-1 director Stylianos Chatzidakis. This fully integrated physics and data-driven simulation receives real-time measurements from PUR-1’s sensors, utilizes AI algorithms for predictions, and provides insights to inform reactor operations. Kim explained that they are the only university with a digital twin of a true nuclear reactor that can utilize reactor-generated signals for research. In a study published in Nature’s Scientific Reports, Chatzidakis and collaborators demonstrated how this digital twin could test a machine learning algorithm designed to improve the performance of small modular reactors, achieving 99% accuracy in predicting changes in reactor power output.
This capability is crucial for the envisioned future of remotely operated reactor fleets, potentially minimizing operation and maintenance costs. Chatzidakis said that if staff could be in a control room hundreds or thousands of miles away and monitor multiple reactors at once, they could minimize the operation and maintenance costs. Using PUR-1, they could quantify the potential reduction in costs. Beyond efficiency gains, PUR-1 is also serving as a testbed for bolstering reactor cybersecurity. Researchers have conducted projects evaluating how AI and machine learning models could distinguish between normal and abnormal cybersecurity states. Results indicate that these models can successfully detect abnormal cybersecurity events, offering a potential framework for safeguarding remotely operated reactors.
Chatzidakis’ lab is also investigating the feasibility of quantum encryption to protect reactor communications, noting that encryption based on quantum principles cannot be broken with any computer. Experiments are planned to test the encryption of signals from PUR-1 using quantum equipment, accessed via the digital twin, further solidifying the reactor’s role in developing digitally-controlled nuclear power.
Having the digital data acquisition as well as everything being monitored through a digital system definitely allows us to do things that other reactors can’t do. There’s a saying that ‘data is the new oil,’ and I’d say for PUR-1, that definitely rings true.
True Miller, PUR-1 supervisor and Purdue PhD student in nuclear engineering
Purdue University’s Reactor Number One, despite generating energy equivalent to about ten microwaves, stands as a unique national asset; it is the sole U.S. nuclear reactor fully equipped with digital controls, a distinction earned in 2019 that is increasingly vital for the future of reactor technology. This digital replica receives real-time data from PUR-1’s sensors, enabling AI-driven predictions and insights into reactor performance. This capability is particularly relevant as many future reactors are expected to be operated remotely from centralized control centers.
Our switch to digital instrumentation and control signaled to the nuclear industry that this is possible in the U.S.
Seungjin Kim, the Capt. McCarthy Head of Purdue’s School of Nuclear Engineering and facility director of PUR-1
Real-Time Data Enhances Reactor Cybersecurity Detection
Stylianos Chatzidakis, an associate professor of nuclear engineering at Purdue University, is developing a new approach to nuclear reactor cybersecurity by leveraging real-time data from the nation’s only all-digital nuclear reactor. The reactor gained digital capabilities in 2019, supported by a Department of Energy grant, which has positioned it as a critical facility for developing and validating advanced cybersecurity techniques. Seungjin Kim, the Capt. This digital twin allows researchers to conduct experiments without impacting the physical reactor’s operation, a capability unique to Purdue. The ability to access PUR-1’s data remotely has opened new avenues for exploring the feasibility of operating advanced reactors from distant control centers, a necessity for fleets of small modular reactors or microreactors deployed in remote locations. In a technical report published by the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Chatzidakis and other Purdue researchers evaluated how AI and machine learning models could distinguish between normal and abnormal cybersecurity states using real-time data from PUR-1. Chatzidakis notes that the nuclear industry could refer to this report as they develop machine learning for cybersecurity. Furthering their research, the team is also exploring the potential of quantum encryption to secure communications to and from the reactor. They are currently working to test the feasibility of implementing quantum encryption using PUR-1’s data and digital twin, paving the way for a more secure and resilient future for nuclear energy. The development of these digital tools and cybersecurity protocols is a crucial step toward realizing the potential of advanced reactors to provide clean, reliable energy for communities across the nation and beyond.
The idea is that the nuclear industry could refer to this report as they develop machine learning for cybersecurity.
Stylianos Chatzidakis, Purdue nuclear engineering assistant professor and associate PUR-1 director
Quantum Encryption Explored for Secure Communications
Beyond optimizing reactor performance and extending operational lifespans, Purdue University Reactor Number One is now serving as a unique platform for exploring advanced communication security; specifically, the potential of quantum encryption to safeguard critical infrastructure. This focus stems from the increasing likelihood of distributed reactor fleets, such as small modular reactors and microreactors, requiring secure, long-distance monitoring and control. The shift towards remote operation necessitates robust defenses against cyber threats, prompting researchers to investigate quantum key distribution (QKD) as an unbreakable encryption method. Chatzidakis’ lab is currently leveraging data from PUR-1 to model how quantum encryption might function in a remote monitoring and operational scenario. The team is preparing to move beyond simulations, aiming to conduct experiments that will encrypt signals originating from the reactor itself, accessed through the digital twin. This approach allows for rigorous testing of quantum equipment and protocols without disrupting actual reactor operations.
The work builds on a technical letter report published by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, in which Chatzidakis and other Purdue researchers evaluated how AI and machine learning models could distinguish between normal and abnormal cybersecurity states. Results indicated that these models could successfully identify anomalous activity, suggesting a proactive approach to safeguarding nuclear systems. The pursuit of quantum encryption is not merely theoretical; it addresses a practical need for secure communication in a future where multiple reactors may be managed from a single, distant control room. The ongoing research at PUR-1 is therefore positioning Purdue University at the forefront of both nuclear innovation and cybersecurity advancements, creating a more resilient and secure energy future.
We are the only university that has a digital twin of a true nuclear reactor that can utilize reactor-generated signals for research. That makes us unique.
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