Development of a digitally-enabled regulatory environment for fusion power plants

数字孪生体开始改变许多行业中复杂系统的设计流程。利物浦大学的虚拟工程中心（VEC）与来自工业和国家实验室的合作伙伴一起，以综合核数字环境（INDE）1为基础，进行了一项裂变能数字反应堆的概念验证研究。与此同时，Patterson和Taylor一直在与UKAEA的合作伙伴一起研究核聚变能源数字环境的形式，考虑到更高层次的复杂性、资源规模、新技术的整合以及可能涉及的组织的多样性和分布2。在数字裂变反应堆项目期间，VEC与监管当局进行了积极的互动，而促成监管的文化为核聚变发电厂的监管提供了一个新范例的机会。建议研究数字孪生体与监管环境的集成所提供的潜力，以实现核聚变发电厂设计的创新。

Digital twins are beginning to transform design processes for complex systems in a number of industries. A proof-of-concept study for digital reactor in fission energy has been conducted by the Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC) at the University of Liverpool together with partners from industry and national laboratories using the Integrated Nuclear Digital Environment (INDE)1 as its basis. In parallel, Patterson and Taylor having been working with partners at UKAEA on the form of a digital environment for fusion energy taking account of the higher order of complexity, the scale of resources, the integration of novel technologies, and the likely diversity and distribution of organisations involved2. The VEC has had positive interactions with the regulatory authorities during the digital fission reactor project and the culture of enabling-regulation3 offers an opportunity for a new paradigm in the regulation of fusion powerplants. It is proposed to investigate the potential provided by the integration of digital twins with the regulatory environment to enable innovation in the design of fusion powerplants.