Purdue University Starts Research on Reliability of Nation's First Digital Nuclear Reactor

"As the United States and the world continue to implement digital technology, that introduces both strengths and vulnerabilities that need to be explored and understood because our economy relies on the resiliency of these systems," said Clive Townsend, who is the supervisor of PUR-1. 

It won't just be scientists and engineers from Purdue University leading the research, they are inviting partnerships "that could be private, other universities or national labs – to explore how we can leverage the strengths of digital systems in order to ensure reliability," continued Townsend. 

Currently, Purdue University has already partnered with Mirion Technologies, a company that specializes in nuclear measurement and detection, to create the reactor's detectors. Together, the team is testing how the detectors in the reactor perform in numerous environments. 

PUR-1 also helping push forward education

Not merely used for research purposes, the reactor is also used for teaching, ranging from disciplines in the political science field to mechanical engineering. 

Townsend said that thousands of students ranging from high school to Boy Scouts visit the nuclear reactor each year. 

.@SenToddYoung speaking at the dedication of PUR-1, the nation's first all-digital nuclear reactor and the only nuclear reactor in Indiana, housed at Purdue. https://t.co/ysrmSqdhRw

— Purdue U. News (@PurdueUnivNews) September 3, 2019

"We’re seeing renewed interest by members of the public and future students, as well as collaborations in private and public sectors, to use this small reactor for a variety of purposes, including detector characterization and new outreach capabilities across both the U.S. and the world," Townsend said. "It’s really breathed new life, as well as new research capabilities."

PUR-1 was converted from an analog operating system to a digital one in 2016.