Postdoc on the topic of hybrid feedback control for nuclear fusion We aim to develop the hybrid control1 approach necessary to control density profiles2 together with the exhaust3, particularly with hydrogen ice pellets, to optimize the fusion reactions, ; hence the efficiency of future fusion reactors. This project combines of fusion research and advanced control engineering.
The Postdoc will work on development and interfacing the exhaust and core controllers. Both are currently (individually) being developed within DIFFER. The main idea of integrating exhaust controllers with core controllers is to increase the performance of the exhaust controllers because disturbances originating from the core on the exhaust can be mitigated using core control. In addition, as the exhaust controller is mainly a safety controller (to protect the wall), communicating a predicted violation of a safety constraint arising from density and fusion power fluctuations will allow the hybrid core controller to take (additional) action, assuring the overall safety. As part of the project, the Postdoc is expected to interact, prepare, and execute experiments on the ASDEX-Upgrade tokamak situated in Germany in close collaboration with the IPP Max Planck team. The Postdoc will be part of the Energy Systems & Control group at DIFFER currently involved in several tokamaks including STEP, MAST-U, TCV, AUG, and DIII-D and will be embedded in the Control Systems Technology group (group Heemels) at the Eindhoven University of Technology.
- Lunze, J. Fault diagnosis of discretely controlled continuous systems by means of discrete-event models. Discret. Event Dyn. Syst. 18, 181–210 (2008).
- Bosman, T., Van Berkel, M. & De Baar, M. R. Model-based electron density profile estimation and control, applied to ITER. J. Phys. Commun. available online, (2021).
- Koenders et al., Nuclear Fusion 63, 106007, (2023)