The realisation of a fusion plant faces multiple challenges, for example controlling the heat load on the wall. An expert team of DIFFER is helping Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) to develop the SPARC tokamak.
In 2024 DIFFER and the American private fusion company Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) signed a two-year Statement of Work to advance the realisation of fusion energy. The collaboration project aims to develop a framework for exhaust control, including models, observers, and controllers for CFS’s SPARC tokamak fusion machine.
Leading role
DIFFER is known for its leading role in controlling the heat load on the wall of a fusion plant by controlling the exhaust of the machine. The institute has past experience and expertise in developing control frameworks for fusion machines. In former projects, DIFFER researchers developed and demonstrated exhaust control on ASDEX-U, TCV, and JET (the largest tokamak in the world).
Commitment
For DIFFER, the collaboration with a private company like Commonwealth Fusion Systems underscores DIFFER’s commitment to conduct fundamental research on materials, processes, and systems for a sustainable global energy infrastructure, all in close partnership with (inter)national academia and industry.
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