Major fusion research platform enters trial operation in China

According to China National Nuclear Corporation, published on 2 November, the country’s largest hardware-in-the-loop simulation platform for fusion power supply systems has formally entered trial operation and passed final acceptance. Its overall performance reaches the leading standard among equivalent platforms worldwide. The milestone confirms that China has established a complete technical chain covering algorithm development for fusion power supplies, hardware-in-the-loop simulation validation and delivery of full sets of equipment.

Built on a fully independent real-time simulation architecture, the platform supports more than 10,000 modelled switching elements, with a maximum core calculation time step of 0.8 microseconds. A panel of specialist reviewers has verified that all hardware and software parameters across the full system meet the predefined design targets, and all construction tasks have been completed to a high standard.

Once operational, the platform can cut the research and commissioning cycle for fusion special power supplies by more than 40 per cent and substantially reduce iterations of physical prototypes. It enables parallel validation of power-supply algorithms with varied parameters and topologies, and captures nanosecond-scale transient events triggered by switching actions in fusion power systems. The setup satisfies validation requirements for extreme and dynamic operating conditions within fusion facilities, and accommodates custom testing for experimental fusion devices built on multiple technical routes.

The platform represents a landmark research outcome developed over several years by China Fusion Energy Company Limited under China National Nuclear Corporation. All core technologies are held independently. The underlying framework is opened for secondary development to fusion research teams, to support trials of artificial intelligence optimisation and digital twins for extreme operating scenarios.