Integrated Nuclear Web-based Digital Twin Platform for the NETL TRIGA Reactor

Abstract

Digital twin technologies, which couple physical systems with their virtual representations for monitoring, prediction, and analysis, have advanced significantly in many engineering domains. However, their deployment in nuclear systems remains limited due to stringent requirements on safety, validation, and system-level integration. Existing efforts often focus on individual components such as high-fidelity simulation or data-driven models, while practical implementations that unify these elements into an accessible and operational framework remain scarce. In response, this work presents the Nuclear Twins Website (NTW), a web-based digital twin platform developed for the NETL TRIGA reactor. The NTW is designed as a centralized and integrated hub that unifies data, simulation, and user interaction. The platform integrates five core components: core configuration analysis, operational data access, a natural-language-based data query interface, an interactive reactor simulator, and a high-fidelity prediction module. By connecting historical data, physics-based models, and user interaction, the NTW enables intuitive exploration, training, and analysis of reactor behavior. Rather than introducing a standalone software tool, this work demonstrates a structured approach for deploying nuclear digital twins that emphasizes integration, accessibility, and validation. The NTW provides a scalable foundation for bridging high-fidelity reactor simulations with practical operational and research workflows.