The dream of creating clean unlimited energy by mimicking the power of the sun is moving forward with the help of artificial intelligence. NVIDIA and General Atomics, along with international research partners, have created a detailed interactive virtual model of a fusion reactor. This digital twin uses advanced AI and powerful computer systems to help scientists solve the huge challenge of making fusion energy possible on Earth.
Why is this exciting? Fusion energy works by using plasma, which is a super hot state of matter made of charged particles. Stars are made of plasma and if we could safely control it in reactors, fusion could provide endless energy without pollution. However, controlling plasma is extremely hard because it acts unpredictably and gets hotter than the sun’s core.
This is where AI comes in. Traditional computer simulations of plasma take weeks to complete, even with supercomputers. Now, AI models can predict what the plasma will do in just seconds. These models are trained on years of real experimental data and can help scientists keep the reactor stable and avoid accidents. Faster predictions mean researchers can test new ideas quickly and safely in a virtual environment before trying them in real reactors.
The digital twin project uses NVIDIA’s Omniverse platform and high performance computer chips. It combines live sensor data, physics models, engineering designs and AI, all in one real-time environment. This allows around 700 scientists from 100 organizations to work together, exploring 'what if' scenarios and controlling the virtual reactor as if it were real. They can practice experiments, make improvements, and solve problems without any risk to the physical machine.
Overall, this approach is transforming fusion research from a slow and risky process to one that is much faster and safer thanks to AI and advanced computing. The goal is to speed up the development of commercial fusion energy, bringing us closer to a future where clean energy is available for everyone.
Original article and image: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/nvidia-general-atomics-fusion/
