A 3D, Interactive Virtual Instruction Laboratory and a Virtual Model of a Reactor Control Room

Efficient and effective education and training of nuclear engineering students, nuclear reactor operators, their supervisors, and other personnel are critical for the safe operation and maintenance of any nuclear reactor, whether for research or commercial power generation. Radiation and reactor laboratories are a very important part of such training. Recent increase in the student population in nuclear engineering programs has put strains on laboratory resources. This increase in student population, constraints on resources and qualitative improvements in gaming technology have led researchers in the field of radiological and nuclear engineering to explore virtual, game-like models to provide the needed experience [1–3]. Though virtual lab experience may never completely replace an actual physical lab experience in educational institutions, in some ways virtual labs may provide a better experience than limited cookbook style executions in a physical lab or reactor operator training course. We have earlier reported our initial efforts toward the development of a generic virtual and interactive laboratory environment [3]. This virtual lab presents a fully immersive learning experience. We here report the specifics of a radiation lab in which half-life and shielding experiments can be conducted, and simulation-based real-physics data can be gathered.