The Ministry of Science and ICT said on the 10th that it has developed software that reproduces a fusion device exactly in virtual space. The device developed this time is donut-shaped and called a "tokamak," and it can create ultra-high-temperature fusion reactions. With this technology, it has become possible to test the performance and safety of components for future devices.
A digital twin is an advanced technology that reproduces real-world objects exactly in a virtual world to test and analyze various scenarios. When applied to fusion research, it allows mock operation on a virtual device without building an actual device, enabling more precise safety and performance analysis and greatly reducing time and expense.
Fusion energy is energy generated by the fusion reaction, the same principle as the energy that comes from the sun. Research is underway to artificially create this reaction on Earth so it can be used as a future energy source.
Researchers at the Korea institute of Fusion Energy (KFE) independently developed digital twin technology using data obtained from Korea's Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR). By combining it with supercomputer simulations, they were able to precisely analyze the heat flux (thermal energy entering per unit area and time) applied to the inner wall of the fusion device.
The team applied the technology to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), a global fusion project, predicting and analyzing changes in inner-wall heat flux in three-dimensional virtual space according to plasma operating conditions and confirming the software's reliability. This demonstrated that it can be applied not only to KSTAR but also to other fusion devices such as ITER.
In addition, the software can be provided to overseas joint research teams and domestic industry, and is expected to be used not only for international joint research but also to create new industries at home.
Jung Taek-ryeol, policy director for public convergence research at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, "We will pursue a strategy to secure core fusion technologies based on private-sector cooperation and respond proactively to the global fusion energy competition through support for research and development and the creation of a sustainable research and industrial ecosystem."