The Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) in Greifswald operates the experiment Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X). This is the world's largest stellarator fusion plant. Nuclear fusion is a new, almost inexhaustible source of energy for humanity that will be available if it succeeds in efficiently confining a plasma with a temperature of over 100 million degrees Celsius using special magnetic field geometries to be developed for it.

The active control of fusion plants, e.g. the W7-X is a key element on the way to becoming a powerful fusion reactor. Real-time control is a highly complex combination of a variety of measurement systems with actuators and sophisticated control algorithms.

The concrete objective in this WP is the development of a real-time control system, which guarantees optimal operation of the machine. As part of the research, a number of algorithms are implemented and tested on the machine. Candidates include machine learning and evolutionary algorithms. This project examines issues at the interface between computer science, mathematics, physics and real-time control and offers potential for comprehensive synergetic collaboration.