For nuclear power to truly establish itself as a cornerstone of a sustainable, clean energy future, it must overcome significant economic hurdles, primarily by becoming more competitively priced and economical to produce. This formidable challenge is being directly addressed by Lauren Fortier, a visionary second-year doctoral student in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering (NSE), who is at the forefront of developing remote operation protocols for the autonomous control of nuclear plants. Her groundbreaking research is poised to revolutionize the operational paradigm of nuclear facilities, paving the way for a new generation of reactors that are not only safer and more reliable but also economically viable on a global scale.
The Economic Imperative for Nuclear Autonomy
The global energy landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by an urgent need to decarbonize energy systems and combat climate change. Nuclear power, with its capacity for baseload, carbon-free electricity generation, is increasingly recognized as a critical component in this transition. However, its widespread adoption has historically been constrained by high upfront capital costs, lengthy construction timelines, and significant operational expenses, largely attributable to the intensive human staffing requirements of traditional gigawatt-scale plants. A typical large nuclear power plant can require a staff of hundreds, sometimes exceeding 1,000 personnel, for continuous operation, maintenance, and security. These costs, while justifiable for facilities operating at 100 percent capacity and delivering massive amounts of power to major grids, become prohibitive for smaller, more distributed reactor designs.
The emergence of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Microreactors (MRs) represents a significant leap forward in nuclear technology, promising greater flexibility, scalability, and the potential for deployment in remote or off-grid locations. These advanced reactors are designed to be factory-built, reducing construction times and costs. However, their economic viability is intrinsically linked to a drastically reduced operational footprint. Deploying dozens or even hundreds of these smaller reactors, particularly in rural or isolated areas, simply cannot sustain the large human workforces associated with legacy plants. This is where Fortier’s work becomes indispensable: by enabling supervised and thoroughly vetted autonomous operations, her research aims to dramatically lower operational expenditure, making nuclear power competitive with other energy sources and unlocking its potential for widespread, decentralized deployment. Estimates suggest that automation could reduce operational staffing requirements by 30-50% or more for advanced reactors, translating into billions of dollars in savings over a plant’s lifetime.
From Naval Operations to Academic Innovation: Lauren Fortier’s Journey
Lauren Fortier’s path to pioneering autonomous nuclear operations is rooted in a unique blend of practical experience and academic rigor. Her journey began at Northwestern University, where she earned an undergraduate degree in materials science and engineering, supported by an ROTC scholarship. This foundation in engineering was quickly put to the ultimate test when she transitioned to a role supervising nuclear plant operations aboard a U.S. aircraft carrier. Stationed deep in the South China Sea, Fortier gained firsthand experience with the absolute criticality of nuclear power. "It was a unique experience that you don’t easily see anywhere else, especially the complete reliance on nuclear power," Fortier recalls. "The only way you’re moving through the ocean is if you have that nuclear reactor working."
This immersive experience as a naval nuclear operator ignited her passion for the intricate operational aspects of nuclear technology. She delved into the scientific principles underpinning plant operations, developing a profound understanding of reactor physics, thermodynamics, and system dynamics. Simultaneously, this hands-on involvement made her acutely aware of existing process shortcomings. Fortier observed that many plant operations were extraordinarily manually intensive, often requiring multiple human operators for routine tasks. This observation sparked a critical question: could these processes be made less reliant on constant human intervention?
Around this pivotal time, the Navy presented Fortier with an opportunity to pursue a master’s degree from a curated list of approved disciplines. Recognizing the direct synergy with her burgeoning ideas, Fortier opted for nuclear engineering at MIT. "My experiences in nuclear up until then had been overwhelmingly positive, so I thought I would build on them and move from the operations realm to the academic realm," she explains. The intense, high-stakes training she received in the Navy proved to be an invaluable asset, preparing her exceptionally well for the demanding academic rigor at MIT. For her master’s degree, Fortier embarked on developing a supervisory control system specifically designed for nuclear plant operations, working extensively with a sophisticated simulator that accurately replicated thermal hydraulic responses. The core assumption driving this initial research was that insights gleaned from these simulations could be effectively translated into real-world applications, laying the groundwork for more advanced automation.
Pioneering Autonomous Control Systems for Next-Generation Reactors
Fortier’s master’s research, while significant, proved to be merely the initial foray into a much larger and more complex domain. The challenge of achieving true autonomous operation for nuclear plants, particularly for the emerging fleet of distributed microreactors, demanded a more comprehensive approach. The primary question guiding her doctoral work became: "How do we transition to autonomous operations in nuclear power plants?"
Legacy nuclear plants were designed with human operators as the central intelligence and control points. Their procedures, interfaces, and safety protocols are all inherently human-centric. Fortier realized that simply layering automation on top of these existing structures would create rigidity and limit the true potential of advanced control. Her vision was not merely to automate individual tasks but to create a single, integrated supervisory control system that could orchestrate an entire plant’s operations. This necessitated a paradigm shift: moving beyond procedures primarily designed for human execution to a flexible framework that could seamlessly accommodate both human and machine agents.
Fortier observed, "Because everything is human-centric, it doesn’t allow you to choose the best way to do a procedure." Her innovative approach centers on a human-machine teaming model, where each excels in its respective strengths. Machines can handle repetitive, precise, and high-speed tasks, while humans provide strategic oversight, adapt to unforeseen circumstances, and exercise complex judgment when necessary. This collaborative framework allows for "strategic human intervention only delivered as necessary," optimizing both efficiency and safety.
Her doctoral work focuses on developing objective-oriented operations, where the control system is empowered to generate the optimal sequence of events required to achieve a specific operational objective, rather than rigidly adhering to a predetermined, step-by-step procedure. This adaptive capability is crucial for dynamic environments and varying operational goals.
A key technical decision in Fortier’s research is her reliance on finite state automata (FSA) for developing the automation framework. Unlike data-driven artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (ML) systems, FSA offers unparalleled transparency and predictability in its execution. Fortier explains, "We’re not using a data-driven statistical approach like machine learning because we do not yet have the tools to validate the operation of such systems." This is a critical distinction in the nuclear industry, where absolute certifiability and the ability to definitively explain every decision and action taken by a control system are paramount for safety and regulatory approval.
FSA operates as a discrete event system, meaning every action within the automation framework is explicitly event-driven. In simple terms, it follows an "if this happens, do that" logic, allowing the system to adjust dynamically to current plant conditions and transition between various states or events with crystal clarity. This conventional automation approach, extensively studied by Fortier during a recent internship at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), offers the robustness and verifiability essential for nuclear applications, addressing complex problems through transparent and auditable logic rather than opaque algorithms.
The Power of Collaborative Research at MIT and Beyond
The ambitious scope of Fortier’s research necessitated a collaborative approach, a hallmark of the innovative ecosystem at MIT. Her journey through a master’s and now a doctoral program has been significantly enriched by working alongside leading experts from academia, national laboratories, and industry. Her primary research advisor, Sacit Cetiner, holds a joint appointment with MIT NSE and the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), providing a direct conduit to cutting-edge research and real-world testing facilities.
To tackle the intricate challenge of designing an autonomous supervisory control system with an effective and easily adoptable human-machine interface, Fortier collaborated with Katya Le Blanc, a senior human factors scientist at INL. This partnership, further bolstered by engagement with INL’s Human System Simulation Laboratory, proved invaluable. "I’m very much an engineer and don’t have a lot of experience in human behavior, so the collaboration with INL was a huge benefit for me," Fortier notes. "I got better insights into many aspects, including what you want to see when a human has to take over for a machine when it’s no longer working." This human-centric design approach ensures that as automation increases, human operators retain clear visibility and effective control, particularly in off-normal situations.
Her work also extended to direct industry engagement. Fortier completed a summer internship at Westinghouse, a global leader in nuclear plant design and a key vendor for current and next-generation nuclear power plants. This opportunity allowed her to test and validate her ideas about autonomous operations solutions in a practical, industry-relevant setting, gaining crucial feedback on scalability and implementation challenges.
At MIT, Fortier benefits from the expertise of two distinguished co-advisors. Anuradha Annaswamy, a founder and director of the Active-Adaptive Control Laboratory in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, is a renowned control systems expert. Fortier explains the synergy: "While I can explain what to do with a nuclear power plant, she can help me understand better how to go about operations from a control systems perspective." Annaswamy provides crucial guidance on the theoretical framework and practical execution of Fortier’s supervisory control system, further solidifying her foundation in this critical discipline through specialized coursework. Her other co-advisor is Curtis Smith, the KEPCO Professor of the Practice of Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT NSE, and former director for INL’s Nuclear Safety and Regulatory Research Division. Smith’s extensive background in nuclear safety and regulatory aspects provides essential context and guidance for developing systems that meet stringent industry standards.
Building Trust and Ensuring Safety: A Step-by-Step Progression Toward Autonomy
A fundamental principle guiding Fortier’s design of autonomous operation systems is the imperative to build trust with users through a gradual and systematic progression toward autonomy. This approach acknowledges the inherent conservatism of the nuclear industry and the necessity for rigorous validation and public acceptance. "When we introduce an automated procedure that walks you step by step through what you would be doing anyway, it is reassuring and builds trust," Fortier emphasizes. By gradually automating familiar procedures and demonstrating the reliability and transparency of the system, operators can develop confidence in the new technologies.
The choice of finite state automata (FSA) is central to this trust-building strategy. Unlike the "black box" nature often associated with advanced AI, FSA offers complete transparency. Every decision and state transition within the automation framework is explicit and verifiable, allowing operators and regulators to fully understand why the system takes a particular action. This level of transparency is non-negotiable in nuclear safety, where the ability to audit and validate every aspect of a control system is paramount. This discrete event system approach ensures that automation adjusts precisely to current plant conditions and provides clear transitions between operational states, offering a robust and understandable alternative to complex, data-driven AI solutions that lack the necessary validation tools for such high-stakes environments.
Future Impact and Broader Implications
The potential impact of Lauren Fortier’s work on the future of nuclear energy is profound. Her dedication and innovative approach have already garnered significant recognition, as evidenced by her selection as one of the winners of the 2024 Innovations in Nuclear Energy Research and Development Student Competition from the Department of Energy’s Nuclear Energy University Program. This award underscores the national importance and promising nature of her research.
The practical application of her nuclear plant automation program on next-generation equipment is expected to provide the necessary traction for the accelerated development and widespread deployment of commercial microreactors. By dramatically reducing operational costs through enhanced automation, Fortier’s work can make these smaller, modular reactors economically competitive, allowing them to provide clean, reliable power to remote communities, industrial sites, and even military bases that currently rely on fossil fuels. This decentralization of power generation can enhance grid resilience, reduce transmission losses, and foster energy independence in underserved regions.
The immediate next step in her research involves scaling the supervisory control system, building upon the insights gained from focused work on specific control aspects. Fortier is visibly excited about the journey ahead and the vast possibilities her research opens. "The collaborations with other people, and the relationships we have established with stakeholders, have really helped make an impact and supported the relevancy of the work," she reflects. "Sometimes when you’re stuck in your own bubble, that outside perspective is really useful." This collaborative spirit, coupled with her unique background and rigorous technical approach, positions Lauren Fortier as a pivotal figure in shaping a more accessible, affordable, and sustainable nuclear energy future for the world. Her work is not just about automating reactors; it’s about enabling a global clean energy transition that leverages the full, untapped potential of nuclear power.
