nT-Tao and Ben-Gurion University Publish Peer-Reviewed Breakthrough Control Method That Can Improve Power Delivery to Fusion Plasma

New nonlinear control method stabilizes resonant power delivery during rapid plasma load changes, advancing a key building block of nT-Tao's compact fusion architecture.

HOD HASHARON, Israel, Dec. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- nT-Tao today announced the publication of a peer-reviewed research article in Actuators titled "Nonlinear Controller for Keeping Pulsed-Power Resonant Inverter Driving Time-Varying Series RLC Load in Resonance." The paper is authored by Ohad Akler, Power Electronics Engineer at nT-Tao, Natan Schecter, Director of Power Electronics at nT-Tao, and Prof. Alon Kuperman, Director of the Applied Energy Laboratory at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

The study introduces a nonlinear control methodology that enables a resonant inverter to maintain stable resonance even as its electrical load changes rapidly, a condition intrinsic to the formation and heating of fusion plasma. By combining feedback linearization with a linear regulator, the authors demonstrate a control architecture capable of stabilizing highly dynamic RLC loads, achieving resonant frequency tracking across a wide operational range, and outperforming traditional linear controllers. The approach is validated through detailed time-domain simulations that mimic laboratory plasma conditions.

In simpler terms, the research solves a problem similar to keeping a swing moving smoothly while its weight and rhythm change multiple times during typical operations. Fusion plasmas behave unpredictably, forcing power systems to adapt instantly. This new control method allows nT-Tao's pulsed-power system to tune itself in real time, keeping energy delivery stable and efficient even under fast-changing conditions, an essential capability for achieving repeatable, high-performance plasma pulses. The controller also enables self-calibration, which cuts the number of experiments required to ensure proper operation. This allows efficiency in utilizing laboratory time for scientific advancement.

Precise pulsed-power control is one of the most critical technical challenges in compact fusion. The electrical load presented by plasma changes on microsecond timescales, and instability in this regime can significantly reduce energy coupling efficiency or damage reactor subsystems. This research advances a core enabling technology for nT-Tao's compact fusion system by improving pulsed-power stability, increasing power-transfer efficiency, and supporting the company's high-density plasma regime and extreme repetition rates. The method's scalability also aligns with nT-Tao's broader vision of manufacturable, modular fusion systems suitable for deployment across data centers, industrial facilities, defense applications, and remote communities.

"Pulsed-power control is foundational to compact fusion. This work provides a viable pathway to stabilizing and maximizing resonant power delivery under the highly dynamic conditions created during plasma formation," said Natan Schecter, Director of Power Electronics at nT-Tao. "It's an important step toward realizing a fusion system that can run reliably and repeatedly at commercial-grade operating conditions."

Across the fusion industry, resonant inverter control under plasma-driven load fluctuation has long been a bottleneck. This paper contributes a mathematically rigorous and practically implementable solution that can help accelerate progress not only in nT-Tao's architecture but also in other pulsed or hybrid fusion approaches seeking stable and repeatable operation.

"The nonlinear controller demonstrated in this paper addresses one of the most complex challenges in fusion power electronics," said Ohad Akler, Power Electronics Engineer at nT-Tao. "As the fusion field moves toward high-density, rapid-pulse architectures, these control capabilities become indispensable."

The article is available open-access through Actuators (Volume 14, Issue 12) and can be accessed here: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0825/14/12/590

About nT-Tao

nT-Tao is developing a compact fusion reactor capable of generating 10-20 MW of clean, safe, and stable power, with a final system designed to be compact, scalable, and affordable. Engineered for scalability and rapid deployment, nT-Tao's solution is adaptable to a wide range of on- and off-grid energy needs, including distributed baseload power, industrial facilities, small towns, ships, data centers, and remote locations. At the core of nT-Tao's breakthrough technology is a proprietary plasma heating method and an innovative magnetic topology, enabling significantly higher plasma densities. This unique approach, combined with fast development iterations, dramatically reduces the size, cost, and complexity of fusion energy reactors, bringing commercially viable fusion closer to reality. Co-founded by Oded Gour-Lavie, Doron Weinfeld, and Boaz Weinfeld, nT-Tao is on a mission to redefine the global energy landscape by developing a transformative nuclear fusion technology that will drive the transition toward a cleaner, decarbonized, and sustainable future. For more information, visit www.nt-tao.com and follow the company on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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SOURCE nT-Tao