A new US Department of Energy-backed project aims to predict the behavior of plasma inside a fusion reactor in less than 20 minutes, using a digital replica of Commonwealth Fusion Systems’ (CFS) SPARC device.

The project, led by the American fusion energy company, brings together four DOE national laboratories, NVIDIA, Google DeepMind and university researchers. It will develop a digital twin that uses physics simulations, experimental data and advanced computing to predict how SPARC will operate.

The initiative is part of the DOE’s Genesis Mission, which announced its Phase II awards on October 8. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) will contribute simulation software, experimental data and computing resources to the project.

Unlike conventional simulations, the planned digital twin will be connected to the physical SPARC device, which is currently under construction. As experimental data becomes available, researchers intend to update the virtual model to improve its predictions and guide future experiments.

SPARC is a tokamak, a fusion device that uses powerful magnetic fields to confine extremely hot plasma. Researchers must understand how the plasma behaves under different operating conditions to improve reactor performance.

The digital twin is intended to predict a complete plasma pulse, or one experimental operating cycle, in under 20 minutes. That would allow scientists to analyze results and prepare adjustments between successive experiments.

PPPL will contribute three established physics simulation codes: M3D-C1, TRANSP and XGC. These tools model different aspects of plasma behavior and will be combined with other software to generate predictions.

The project will also use faster computational models trained on large simulation datasets.

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