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The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and Oxfordshire tech start-up Sygensys assessed how fusion control software known as MARTe could be transferred to the wider energy sector to help boost grid resilience.
The UK has seen an increase of renewable energy sources, while demand for electricity is expected to increase by 40% over the next decade due to the rise in electric vehicles, heat pumps and other appliances.
Grid operators are facing challenges from the conventional use of synchronous generators as the UK progresses towards a ‘smart grid’ model, paving the path towards decarbonisation. Inverter-based resources, which are the primary interfacing technology for many renewable sources of energy, are replacing synchronous generators in ever-growing numbers.
Fusion science involves controlling extreme temperatures and pressures. One function of MARTe is to help control an entire plasma system, including heating, fuelling, shaping and management of superconducting magnets.
“There is a rapidly emerging need for improved control systems that provide system level control in addition to grid level harmonisation across generators and loads,” said Nizar Ben Ayed, fusion innovation technologist at UKAEA. “This study has enabled UKAEA and Sygensys to explore the tech transfer potential of our fusion control software to help resolve grid stability issues and prevent blackouts.”
Sygensys CEO Andrew Larkins said: “To speed the transition to decarbonisation, systems must be easily maintainable, secure, and interoperable. MARTe certainly shows potential in all of these areas and could prove to be a real asset as it is further developed for commercial use.”
Following the initial six-month study with Sygensys, MARTe’s user interface will now be developed to help improve communication between operators and multiple devices, which could also benefit the fusion community. The software will be further assessed for potential applications in fusion-adjacent sectors, such as the automotive and space industries.
MARTe was first developed in 1995 at UKAEA and has been continuously improved since then, providing plasma control and protection systems for record-breaking fusion energy machine JET (Joint European Torus). It was made open-source in 2010, and has been adopted internationally for fusion research programmes, including ITER, the larger and more advanced version of JET.
“Control systems must be easily maintainable, secure and allow users to communicate with multiple devices and applications in a coordinated way,” said Adam Stephen, software control engineer at UKAEA. “The collaboration with Sygensys demonstrates MARTe’s potential to help the energy grid on its journey to decarbonisation.”
Fusion could be a safe, low-carbon and sustainable part of the world’s future energy supply. It has potential to provide baseload power, complementing renewable and other low-carbon energy sources.
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