Digital Engineering and Digital Intelligence: An Approach to the Development of Small Modular Nuclear Reactors

Abstract

The paper proposes a conceptual approach to organizing digital engineering for the development of small modular nuclear reactors. The proposed approach is motivated by the increasing complexity of engineering design, high levels of technical uncertainty, stringent safety requirements, long project life cycles, and intensifying technological competition, all of which necessitate a fundamental transformation of engineering practice. The central hypothesis is an inversion of the traditional development paradigm, whereby the primary object of engineering activity becomes the digital entity of the future technical system, while the physical product serves as its material embodiment and the principal means of sequential verification. The proposed architecture comprises two interconnected digital platforms: a project digital platform supporting the organization and coordination of collaborative engineering activities, and an engineering exploration platform enabling systematic investigation of the design space through a family of digital twins and virtual experiments. The paper also discusses principles for organizing collaborative engineering within a unified digital environment, the distribution of roles and responsibilities among project participants, and the role of digital intelligence as a new class of intellectual engineering tools that enhances human capabilities without replacing professional responsibility. The proposed approach is intended as a conceptual foundation for the architecture of small modular nuclear reactor development projects and as a basis for the subsequent development of corresponding models, methods, and software tools.