US-based General Atomics (GA) and the University of California San Diego are collaborating to establish a Fusion Data Science & Digital Engineering Centre in San Diego. This paves the way for further collaborations in advanced digital engineering, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and high-performance computing (HPC).
“We are proud to join forces with UC San Diego at the interface of fusion and data science in order to take significant steps toward fusion energy,” said Dr Raffi Nazikian Director of Fusion Data Science at General Atomics. “Achieving fusion energy requires a new approach to fusion data science that leverages AI, ML, HPC and advanced capabilities like digital twin technology to optimize system design, reduce development cycles, and enhance overall performance and affordability.”
The collaborations are part of a critical research thrust within the campus’ Fusion Engineering Institute which brings together students, faculty and external partners around fusion energy research and education. The mission of the institute is to address the engineering challenges that must be solved to ensure that California and the nation win the global race to develop and deliver practical fusion energy at scale.
“I see this new fusion data science centre as an opportunity to highlight just how important data science, artificial intelligence and high-performance computing are for solving the challenges holding back cost-effective fusion energy,” said mechanical engineering professor Professor Javier E Garay, Director of the Fusion Engineering Institute and Associate Dean for Research at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. “This initiative provides a powerful way to further energise San Diego’s efforts at the intersection of fusion and data science, which is a key research thrust of our fusion engineering institute.”
The new centre builds on the strengthening collaboration between GA and UC San Diego in many areas at the intersection of data and fusion including the recent Fusion Innovative Research Engine (FIRE) project and the Fusion Data Platform for AI, both funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fusion Energy Science.
“General Atomics and UC San Diego came together to establish the San Diego Supercomputer Centre 40 years ago thanks to funding from the National Science Foundation. The new centre thus builds on a rich history of cooperation and will leverage significant existing investments to establish shared digital infrastructure,” said Frank Wuerthwein, Director of the San Diego Supercomputer Centre. “We look forward to building cyberinfrastructure for fusion engineering as a public-private partnership with federal, state, and industry investments.”
The new centre also includes contributions from industry leaders such as Ansys, a leading provider of engineering simulation software, and NVIDIA, a top technology and AI computing company. Tom Gibbs, Manager of Developer Relations at NVIDIA. “Our innovations in digital twin technology and GPU computing are uniquely positioned to enhance fusion research efficiency, predictive modelling capabilities, and overall technological advancement.”
Ansys provides their customers with industry-leading engineering simulation and analysis tools, essential for optimizing complex fusion system designs and validating new materials and components under extreme operational conditions. Scott Parent, Ansys Vice President & Chief Technology Officer of Aerospace noted: “Our advanced engineering simulation solutions will help address the sophisticated challenges inherent in fusion energy development, ensuring safe, reliable, and economically viable systems.”
Dr Anantha Krishnan, Senior Vice President for the General Atomics Energy Group. “We believe the centre’s focus in developing leading edge computing and digital engineering tools for fusion energy will have great synergy with experimental data from the Department of Energy’s DIII-D National Fusion Facility, which is operated by General Atomics. This collaboration will provide a unique opportunity to create new tools and technologies that will further accelerate the path to cost-effective commercial fusion energy.”
