iFAN Ecosystem: A Unified AI, Digital Twin, Cyber-Physical Security, and Robotics Environment for Advanced Nuclear Simulation and Operations

TL;DR

The paper introduces iFAN, a comprehensive digital twin ecosystem for nuclear facilities that integrates AI, cyber-physical security, robotics, and physics-based simulations for testing and validating advanced nuclear operations.

Contribution

It presents a novel high-fidelity virtual testbed combining VR, reinforcement learning, and physics simulations for nuclear plant evaluation.

Findings

iFAN enables real-time data exchange for pre-deployment testing

Supports cybersecurity, robotic operations, and radiation simulation

Provides a secure, versatile platform for next-generation nuclear tech validation

Abstract

As nuclear facilities experience digital transformation and advanced reactor development, AI integration, cyber-physical security, and other emerging technologies such as autonomous robot operations are increasingly developed. However, evaluation and deployment is challenged by the lack of dedicated virtual testbeds. The Immersive Framework for Advanced Nuclear (iFAN) ecosystem is developed, a comprehensive digital twin framework with a realistic 3D environment with physics-based simulations. The iFAN ecosystem serves as a high-fidelity virtual testbed for plant operation, cybersecurity, physical security, and robotic operation, as it provides real-time data exchange for pre-deployment verification. Core features include virtual reality, reinforcement learning, radiation simulation, and cyber-physical security. In addition, the paper investigates various applications through potential operational scenarios. The iFAN ecosystem provides a versatile and secure architecture for validating the next generation of autonomous and cyber-resilient nuclear operations.