Control software used in fusion energy research has the potential
to help grid operators cope with increased supply and demand,
concluded a study by United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
(UKAEA) and Oxfordshire tech start-up, Sygensys.
The six-month study assessed how fusion control software known
has ‘MARTe’, can be transferred to the wider energy sector to
help boost grid resilience.
The UK has seen an increase of renewable energy sources to
provide cleaner energy while demand for electricity is expected
to increase by 40 per cent 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 of the electric
power sector. Inverter-based resources, which are the primary
interfacing technology for many renewable sources of energy, have
supplanted 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 comprising heating, fuelling, shaping and
management of superconducting magnets.
Nizar Ben Ayed, Fusion Innovation Technologist at UKAEA, said:
“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. 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.”
Andrew Larkins, CEO, Sygensys, 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.”
As a result of the initial research with Sygensys, MARTe’s user
interface will be developed to help improve communication between
operators and multiple devices, which will 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 to provide 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.
Adam Stephen, Software Control Engineer at UKAEA, added: “Control
systems must be easily maintainable, secure and allow users to
communicate with multiple devices and applications in a
coordinated way. The collaboration with Sygensys demonstrates
MARTe’s potential to help the energy grid on its journey to
decarbonisation.”
Fusion promises to be a safe, low carbon and sustainable part of
the world’s future energy supply. It has the potential to provide
‘baseload’ power, complementing renewable and other low carbon
energy sources as a share of many countries’ energy portfolios.
