Scientists can use AI to solve a key problem in the quest for near-limitless clean energy

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Advancing Fusion Energy: Harnessing AI to Overcome Challenges

 

Scientists in the pursuit of fusion energy have achieved a significant breakthrough by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to address a key obstacle in the quest for near-limitless clean energy. Fusion energy, hailed as a potential solution to the climate crisis, has long been hampered by complexities and instabilities inherent in the fusion process. However, researchers from Princeton University and the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory have now demonstrated the efficacy of AI in forecasting and preventing these instabilities in real time.

 

The conventional method for achieving fusion energy involves heating hydrogen variants to extreme temperatures within a tokamak, a donut-shaped machine, to create a plasma state. Yet, controlling this plasma and preventing disruptions has been a persistent challenge. The team's experiments conducted at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility revealed that their AI controller could predict potential plasma instabilities up to 300 milliseconds in advance, allowing for timely intervention to avert disruptions that would otherwise terminate the fusion reaction abruptly.

 

Egemen Kolemen, a professor at Princeton University and co-author of the study, emphasized the significance of this advancement, particularly in ensuring the continuous and stable operation of fusion reactors. By addressing disruptions and instabilities, confidence in the feasibility of running fusion machines without complications is bolstered, paving the way for sustained fusion energy production.

Fusion energy, akin to the process that powers stars, holds immense promise as a clean and virtually limitless energy source. Recent milestones, such as sustaining fusion energy for five seconds near the English city of Oxford and achieving ignition in California, underscore progress in the field. However, commercial viability and widespread implementation of fusion energy remain distant goals, necessitating continued research and development efforts.

 

While fusion energy offers immense potential for combating climate change, urgent action to reduce planet-warming pollution remains imperative in the interim. Scientists stress the need for significant emissions reductions in this decade to mitigate the escalating impacts of the climate crisis. As researchers continue to push the boundaries of fusion technology, the integration of AI represents a crucial step forward in unlocking the transformative promise of clean, sustainable energy for future generations.

 

22.02.24

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[CanadaSam]

Brilliant!  Finally a useful use for AI.

[Danderman123]

My take is that AI is overhyped, anything that uses a computer is called "AI" now.

 

My opinion is that the big new technologies come quietly:

 

Google search

 

Wikipedia

 

Android smartphones

 

Electric cars