In some fusion energy systems, particles can reach temperatures hotter than the center of the Sun. The challenge is keeping that extreme plasma under control, because disturbances can develop within just a few thousandths of a second, much faster than a person could respond.
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) and Princeton University have developed a new software framework that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to make those rapid control decisions. The system is designed to respond at machine speed while maintaining strict safety protections and leaving the overall goals in human hands.
The framework is called PACMAN (a novel abbreviation for Prediction And Control using MAchiNe learning). Researchers successfully tested it in five experiments on a working fusion system. Its design and initial results are described in a new paper published in Nuclear Fusion.
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