Russian Student Designs Digital Twin of a Nuclear Reactor

A ninth-grade student from Yoshkar-Ola, Anastasia Nikiforova, has developed the concept of a digital twin of a nuclear reactor — a virtual model that can simulate and analyze the operation of real atomic systems. Her project, titled “Core of Knowledge”, was presented at the “Scientific Universe” national competition in Moscow, where it was named one of the top entries and received support from experts at Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear corporation.

The digital twin allows engineers to test scenarios and optimize processes at nuclear power plants without interfering with actual operations. By recreating the internal systems of a reactor in a digital environment, the tool opens new possibilities for predictive modeling and process management in the nuclear sector.

“Core of Knowledge” as a Learning Tool

The project stands out for both its educational and applied potential. “Core of Knowledge” can serve as an engineering simulator and a training platform, helping students and specialists alike visualize and understand how nuclear stations function safely. Experts praised the project’s technical sophistication and depth of concept.

The competition’s final brought together 36 participants from 21 Russian cities, chosen from more than 320,000 applicants. As part of the program, the young scientists visited the NICA collider in Dubna, gaining firsthand insight into large-scale research projects.

After the presentation, a Rosatom representative personally invited Nikiforova to join the corporation in the future, encouraging her to continue developing her ideas — a sign that her “Core of Knowledge” could one day contribute to the next generation of nuclear engineering technologies.