Modeling Small Modular Reactors for Grid Support During Electric Vehicle Charging

A conceptual illustration of a distribution feeder with EV charging and a small modular reactor providing support.

Explore how small modular nuclear reactors can support a cleaner, more stable electric grid by modeling their impact on voltage during electric vehicle charging. 

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This project has reached full capacity for the current term. Please check back next semester for updates.

Project description

The global transition to clean energy has created new challenges for local power grids, especially as electric vehicle (EV) adoption increases. When multiple EVs charge simultaneously, the resulting demand spikes can cause voltage violations in distribution networks. Meanwhile, nuclear energy is gaining renewed attention as a reliable, carbon-free power source that can complement renewables. Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), in particular, offer flexible, scalable designs that can be deployed close to communities, providing both steady energy and grid stability. This project will model how a single SMR integrated into a distribution feeder can mitigate voltage drops during high EV charging demand. Using open-source grid simulation tools, undergraduate researchers will simulate an IEEE standard feeder under varying EV charging conditions and test how localized nuclear generation can regulate voltage. The project will produce comparative voltage profiles, with and without SMR integration, to assess how SMRs enhance grid resilience. 

Project outcome

The project will culminate in a polished research paper to be presented at a power system conference such as MIT Undergraduate Research Technology Conference or the North American Power Symposium. Student will also complete the ELN Mentored Research Digital Badge, which documents their contributions and reflects on their learning experience. 

Project details

Timing, eligibility and other details
Length of commitment Year-long
Start time Spring
In-person, remote, or hybrid? Hybrid
Level of collaboration Individual student project
Benefits Stipend
Who is eligible Juniors and seniors who have taken EE 202 and EE 336

Project mentor

Adedoyin Inaolaji

Assistant Professor

Electrical Engineering

Phone: (716) 645-1531

Email: ainaolaj@buffalo.edu

Start the project

  1. Email the project mentor using the contact information above to express your interest and get approval to work on the project. (Here are helpful tips on how to contact a project mentor.)
  2. After you receive approval from the mentor to start this project, click the button to start the digital badge. (Learn more about ELN's digital badge options.) 
Start the Digital Badge

Preparation activities

Once you begin the digital badge series, you will have access to all the necessary activities and instructions. Your mentor has indicated they would like you to also complete the specific preparation activities below. After you’re approved to begin the project, your mentor will send the relevant materials. Please reference this when you get to Step 2 of the Preparation Phase. 

Read the following foundational articles. Contact your faculty mentor if you are unable to access any of the links.

For each article, create a comprehensive slide deck showing your key highlights.

Uncertainty-aware Day-ahead Datacenter Workload Planning with Load-following Small Modular Reactors (Yang et al., 2025)
Steady-State Modeling of Small Modular Reactors for Multi-Timescale Power System Operations With Temporally Coupled Sub-Models (Rahman and Zhang, 2025)

Keywords

electrical engineering, power systems, nuclear energy, electric vehicles, grid modeling