Advanced Nuclear Technologies and Intelligent Safety Systems: Emerging Pathways for Low-Carbon Energy Security

Valeria De Angelis

Advanced Nuclear Technologies and Intelligent Safety Systems: Emerging Pathways for Low-Carbon Energy Security

Author(s)	Prof. Valeria De Angelis
Country	United States
Abstract	Energy security and deep decarbonization require electricity systems capable of supplying dependable low-carbon power while accommodating variable renewable generation, industrial demand, and increasingly frequent climatic disruptions. Advanced nuclear technologies—including small modular reactors, microreactors, advanced water-cooled reactors, fast reactors, molten-salt concepts, and high-temperature gas-cooled systems—are being investigated as potential contributors to this transition. Their deployment depends on rigorous safety demonstration, regulatory evaluation, fuel-cycle governance, economic feasibility, and public confidence. Intelligent safety systems may strengthen monitoring through sensor fusion, model-based diagnostics, digital twins, anomaly detection, equipment-condition assessment, and decision support. This simulation-based study compares four monitoring architectures: conventional threshold alarms, model-based diagnostics, machine-learning monitoring, and a hybrid intelligent safety system combining physical models with data-driven analysis. Simulated transient scenarios indicate that progressively integrated monitoring may increase anomaly-warning lead time. The illustrative warning interval increased from six minutes for threshold alarms to 15 minutes for model-based diagnostics, 27 minutes for machine-learning monitoring, and 41 minutes for the hybrid architecture. These values are methodological simulations rather than measurements from any operating or experimental reactor. Intelligent systems should not be interpreted as substitutes for defense-in-depth, engineered safety features, licensed operating procedures, qualified personnel, independent regulation, or emergency preparedness. Their defensible role is to provide additional information within bounded and verifiable safety architectures. The study concludes that advanced nuclear energy may contribute to low-carbon energy security only when technological innovation is accompanied by rigorous safety assessment, cybersecurity, waste governance, fuel-supply resilience, transparent regulation, and socially legitimate decision-making.
Keywords	advanced nuclear reactors, intelligent safety systems, small modular reactors, low-carbon energy, nuclear safety, anomaly detection, digital twins, energy security
Field	Engineering
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 2, March-April 2026
Published On	2026-03-30

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American Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation

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Advanced Nuclear Technologies and Intelligent Safety Systems: Emerging Pathways for Low-Carbon Energy Security

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