The upgrade of EAST Safety and Interlock system

TL;DR

This paper describes the design and implementation of an upgraded safety and interlock system for the EAST tokamak, utilizing FPGA technology to enhance expandability and protection mechanisms.

Contribution

The paper introduces a new FPGA-based architecture for the EAST SIS, improving its scalability and safety features for future experimental needs.

Findings

Successful implementation of FPGA-based SIS architecture

Enhanced expandability and safety of EAST operations

Prototype demonstrates improved protection mechanisms

Abstract

The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), a nation-level large-scale scientific project of China, plays a key role for the research of peaceful utilizations of fusion energy. The safety and interlock system (SIS) is in charge of the supervision and control of all the EAST components involved in the protection of human and tokamak from potential accidents. With the development of physical experiment, the SIS had come close to reaching its limits for expandability. Therefore, a prototype for upgrading EAST SIS has been designed, and a fast architecture based on COTS FPGA is absorbed into the new SIS. This paper presents EAST machine and human protection mechanism and the architecture of the upgrading safety and interlock system.