Researching Nuclear Fusion with Supercomputer... Building Kairos
[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] The National Fusion Research Institute announced on the 24th that it has successfully built 'KAIROS,' a 1PF (petaflops, capable of 1 quadrillion calculations per second) class high-performance supercomputer, to be used for fusion simulation research.
KAIROS has a theoretical performance of 1.56PF, making it the largest supercomputer in South Korea dedicated to a specific research field. With the introduction of KAIROS, the National Fusion Research Institute now operates the third largest supercomputer among public institutions based on theoretical performance.
The National Fusion Research Institute utilizes KAIROS for simulation research that establishes and verifies models of ultra-high temperature plasma composed of 10^19 particles per unit volume, maintaining and controlling plasma at temperatures exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius where fusion occurs.
Since 2011, the institute has conducted fusion simulation research using a 60TF (teraflops) class mid-sized supercomputer. Although it achieved research outcomes in fusion theory and modeling, such as developing codes to predict KSTAR plasma experiment results, there were limitations in accommodating the expanding simulation research.
With KAIROS, the institute has secured computational resources necessary for research on heating, current drive, confinement, and plasma-facing components essential for fusion plasma development, marking a new turning point in fusion commercialization research.
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Yoo Seok-jae, director of the National Fusion Research Institute, stated, "As research utilizing technologies related to the 4th Industrial Revolution, such as machine learning and AI, expands in fusion research, the role of high-performance supercomputers is growing. With the establishment of KAIROS, we have secured the soft power for fusion research and will lead the resolution of challenges in fusion commercialization through pioneering simulation research."
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