Idaho National Laboratory scientist outlines how digital twins could shape reactor maintenance and safety

Ross *****, a data scientist at Idaho National Laboratory, said a “digital twin is this combination of a simulation plus real world data,” and described how those systems can be used to model scenarios and inform real‑world actions.

He told listeners that blending models with live measurements lets operators run “what‑if” experiments and can “actually inform what’s actually happening within your real world environment and even can perform actions,” using the example of adaptive cruise control in modern cars to illustrate how a simulation can trigger braking to avoid an accident.

Ross said the technology has direct applications in the nuclear industry, including “simulat[ing] and optimiz[ing] reactor performance” and providing use cases for predicting maintenance needs and enhancing safety protocols. He stated that researchers at Idaho demonstrated what he described as the first real‑world digital twin of a nuclear reactor in 2023; that claim is reported here as the presenter’s statement and was not independently verified in the talk.

Quoting his assessment of his institution’s role, Ross said, “Idaho National Laboratory is at the forefront of technological advancements in this space,” and added that integrating advanced analytics and artificial intelligence is accelerating the development of reactor designs and commercial applications.

The presentation consisted of a short technical overview and examples; Ross said INL has continued work since 2023 and described ongoing and anticipated collaborations, partnerships, and future development of digital‑twin capabilities.