Multi universities Small Modular Reactor Simulators: NuScale

To be installed at CAES in summer 2021, the simulator will accept input from operators in a virtual control room, using computer models to reflect the response of the small modular reactor, providing the CAES universities and INL an open location to conduct scenario-based, innovative research, training and hands-on educational opportunities related to the use of modular reactors for flexible operations, process heat, inclusion in hybrid and innovative energy systems, cybersecurity analysis, and power generation. The simulator will serve as an NSUF site (Nuclear Science User Facilities), allowing students and professors from across the region and nation to perform research in it. It will allow undergraduate students at the CAES universities to amplify their understanding of basic nuclear engineering principles and their understanding of the simplicity in design and safety of small modular reactors. The simulator also will allow CAES to boost outreach to the intermountain region through demonstrations, tours, and education to K-12 students, community leaders, and interested citizens. The simulator will be a significant addition to CAES's headquarters in Idaho Falls, enabling the research, education, and innovation pillars in several focus areas, including nuclear energy, innovative energy systems, and cybersecurity, and will help educate and train the next generation of scientists, engineers, plant operators, and researchers in several fields.