BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have developed a virtual nuclear power plant within a digital society, a software system to help evaluate the safety and efficiency of nuclear energy systems.

The research of the system, named Virtual4DS, was published as a cover paper in the International Journal of Energy Research in April.

As nuclear safety is the key issue in the development of nuclear energy, research and development of advanced nuclear energy safety technology is imperative. Advanced numerical simulations can restore the complex physical processes as much as possible and predict nuclear energy system behavior and safety performance.

Developed by scientists from the Institute of Nuclear Energy Safety Technology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the system uses information technology to establish an integrated simulation platform for the whole environment of the nuclear power plant.

It can analyze nuclear reactor safety, radiation safety and environmental impact, providing a research tool for nuclear safety design and assessment, accident warning, emergency decision-making and social risk assessment.

Virtual4DS can be connected to a nuclear power plant's information system and its core modules have been applied in nuclear engineering projects such as ITER, the world's largest nuclear fusion experimental reactor, and China's Lead-based Reactor, according to the team.