Purdue and federal lab remotely control nuclear reactor power in real time for first time in U.S.

Overview

Updated Yesterday

Engineers at Purdue University and Idaho National Laboratory remotely adjusted the power of a working research reactor in real time, without anyone touching a control rod on site. The demonstration used an automatic digital control loop and then a reinforcement learning model, linking high-performance computers in Idaho, the reactor in Indiana, and a Microsoft Azure cloud in Virginia.

This is the first time researchers have done this in the United States. The reactor's own safety systems stayed in full control throughout, and the work points toward a future where small modular reactors and microreactors could be operated from distant control centers rather than requiring full staffing at each site.

Why it matters

If remote autonomous control matures, advanced small reactors could be monitored from centralized control rooms, cutting operating costs and enabling deployment in remote communities.

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Key Indicators

First U.S. real-time autonomous reactor power adjustment

Demonstration milestone

First time a U.S. reactor's power was adjusted remotely and automatically in real time.

Linked sites

HPC systems in Idaho, PUR-1 reactor in Indiana, Azure cloud in Virginia operated together.

1990

Year PUR-1 began operating

PUR-1 was built in 1962 and converted from analog to digital controls in 2019.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

Ever wondered what historical figures would say about today's headlines?

People Involved

Stylianos Chatzidakis

Associate PUR-1 director and Purdue nuclear engineering assistant professor

Leading the digital twin and autonomous control research at Purdue

Organizations Involved

Purdue University

University

Owner and operator of PUR-1, the nation's only all-digital reactor

Purdue operates PUR-1, a low-power research reactor that is the only all-digital reactor licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Idaho National Laboratory

Federal research laboratory

Lead on the DeepLynx data and control platform used in the demonstration

INL hosts high-performance computing systems and developed the DeepLynx platform that calculated and delivered control rod movement instructions.

Timeline

March 1962 July 2026

5 events Latest: July 15th, 2026 · 2 months ago

Tap a bar to jump to that date

July 2026
Remote autonomous control demonstrated
Latest Milestone

Researchers in Idaho, Indiana, and Virginia linked systems to adjust PUR-1 power autonomously in real time.
July 15th, 2026
January 2025
Secure reactor communications demonstrated
Technology

INL and partners demonstrated secure remote communication with the reactor, building toward autonomous operation.
January 1st, 2025
January 2023
Digital twin of PUR-1 completed
Technology

Chatzidakis lab builds physics- and data-driven simulation receiving real-time sensor measurements.
January 1st, 2023
June 2019
PUR-1 converted to all-digital control
Upgrade

Instrumentation and control system switched from analog dials to digital screens, with DOE support.
June 1st, 2019
March 1962
PUR-1 reactor built at Purdue
Infrastructure

Low-power research reactor constructed for education and research.
March 1st, 1962

Scenarios

NRC issues guidance for remote monitoring of advanced reactors

Likely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: INL researchers and NRC documents referenced in the demonstration

The demonstration aligns with NRC requirements by operating alongside, not replacing, safety controls. If the regulatory agency formalizes guidance for remote monitoring based on this approach, it would clear a path for small modular reactor operators to seek approval for centralized control. The genesis is the DOE's Genesis Mission, which aims to accelerate nuclear energy design with human-in-the-loop workflows.

Purple teams demonstrate same capability on a second reactor design

Possible Resolves by End of 2028

Discussed by: INL, Purdue, and University of Illinois researchers

The team proved the concept on PUR-1, a low-power research reactor. The next step is validating the approach on a different reactor type, possibly a microreactor test bed. Success would demonstrate the control framework is portable beyond one facility.

Autonomous control remains a research demonstration, not an industry standard

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2030

Discussed by: Industry observers noting regulatory and cost barriers

The demonstration is a proof of concept, but commercial adoption faces hurdles: NRC licensing for autonomous systems, cybersecurity requirements, and utility willingness to invest in digital infrastructure. PUR-1's all-digital design is unique; most U.S. reactors still rely on analog systems. Scaling the approach could take decades.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

March 1979

Three Mile Island accident and control room design reforms (1979)

A partial meltdown at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania exposed problems with analog control room design — operators were overwhelmed by alarms and lacked clear information. The accident led to sweeping changes in operator training and control room design.

Then

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission mandated extensive changes to control rooms and training.

Now

Human factors engineering became central to reactor design. PUR-1's digital controls continue that evolution.

Why this matters now

The push for digital, remotely operable reactors is driven partly by the recognition that better information display and automation can reduce human error — the kind of error that contributed to TMI.

1987-1995

Commercial aviation's transition to digital fly-by-wire (1980s-1990s)

Airbus introduced the A320 in 1987 with fly-by-wire controls, replacing mechanical linkages with digital signals. Pilots initially distrusted the system, and debates about autonomy vs. human control followed.

Then

The A320 proved reliable; Airbus and Boeing adopted fly-by-wire across their fleets.

Now

Digital control became the standard, enabling automated features like envelope protection that improved safety.

Why this matters now

Like aviation's shift from mechanical to digital controls, nuclear reactors are moving from analog dials to digital systems. The PUR-1 demonstration is the first step toward autonomous operation.