In order to meet the growing demand of energy and promote the ecological transition, the energy needs of the world’s population must be provided with very low-carbon sources. In this respect, nuclear fusion, a huge, safe and low-carbon energy, might be the best way to meet these challenges.

Various experimental devices capable of triggering nuclear fusion reactions are proposed around the world by institutions and private companies, with the implementation of various schemes: magnetic confinements (tokamaks, stellarators), inertial confinements, or other very innovating technologies. In all cases, it is necessary to bring an initial energy to the light atoms, such as the Deuterium, that are to be fused, in order to produce a greater quantity of energy at the output than the one provided, (gain fusion).

In many of these schemes, a huge quantity of energy has to be supplied in a very short time, to trigger the phenomenon. This is the very definition of Pulsed Power technologies, which ITOPP is specialized in.

Pulsed power technologies play a critical role in fusion experiments, providing the necessary energy and control for successful research and development of fusion energy. One key application of pulsed power technologies in fusion experiments is the initiation and control of plasma discharges. Plasma, the ionized gas in which fusion reactions occur, requires a significant amount of energy to reach the necessary temperatures and conditions for fusion. By discharging stored electrical energy rapidly, these systems provide the initial boost to create and confine the hot plasma within fusion devices.

ITOPP can make available its expertise in pulsed power systems. 

ITOPP design and manufactures energy banks able to store and release large amounts of electrical energy in short timeframes. These energy banks handle the high voltages and currents necessary for fusion experiments. 

ITOPP develops spark gap switches  enabling fast and reliable switching to discharge energy from capacitors into the fusion device. These switches allow precise control over the timing and duration of the energy release.

Contact ITOPP to assess how it can support the acceleration of your developments.

Testing equipment for overcurrent protection devices for EV and energy storage systems

ITOPP develops customized solutions for customers who need to test the effectiveness of energy storage system protection devices. These solutions consist of a test bench which will produce/simulate an overcurrent (according to customer specifications) of the protection devices in order to evaluate their behavior and their ability to protect equipment and people. This test bench is designed to assess devices used in DC (direct current) applications, battery energy storage systems (BESS), operating at several hundred volts and thousands of amps: EV (electric vehicles), HEV (hybrid electric vehicles), Smart-grid, photovoltaic installations, etc.

Overcurrent protection devices: a critical component of high-voltage and high current systems

Overcurrent protection devices include circuit breakers, fuses or overcurrent relays. These safety devices are to protect the circuit from the dangerous effects of overcurrent by cutting the electrical current in the event of an overload or short circuit. These protective devices must be in accordance with the voltage ratings and power of the equipment for which they are designed; otherwise, they may explode while attempting to stop faulty currents beyond their ratings. Potential damages (explosions, ignitions) can be all the more serious if dealing with a high energy electrical device. For this reason, DC overcurrent protectiion devices for systems with large electric energy storage capacity must meet special performance specifications.

Test bench tailored to high voltage and high current systems

In order to be able to determine the limits of these protective devices, ITOPP has designed a test bench specifically sized to replicate the effects of short-circuit effects in high DC equipment for electrical vehicles and battery energy storage systems (BESS).

The test bench developed by ITOPP operates on several types of current/voltage waveforms. The discharge parameters are adjustable and a human-machine interface system allows precise indications of the discharge parameters according to the settings that have been applied. This results in a significant gain in time during experimental set-up. The bench is equipped with a shielded, non-flammable test chamber and includes a smoke evacuation system to eliminate any risk linked to a faulty system under test. 

ITOPP’s knowledge and know-how are available to customers with specific needs, to which ITOPP can respond by adapting pre-existing technologies and techniques or by creating a complete design that considers required performance standards, safety, and ergonomics of use.