Speaker: Nicolò Riva, MIT PSFC

Abstract: What is that the dream of harnessing the fusion power of a star, baking safely your bread, an MRI image of your knee, and the fastest train in the world have in common? All of these applications can greatly benefit by leveraging the unique physical properties of superconducting materials. Specifically, High-Temperature Superconductors (HTS) can enable disruptive technologies such as compact nuclear fusion reactors. There are many challenges related to superconducting components, devices, and applications which need to be addressed to pave the way for their commercialization. The uprising era of AI, HPC and Big Data can assist in tasks such as modeling, optimization, fault detection, cost reduction, condition monitoring, and real-time implementation.  In this talk we will explore how such techniques served the development of different superconducting applications and we will present open challenges that researchers, engineers, and manufacturers think could be solved by means of such techniques. Will you be part of it?

Bio: Nicolò Riva is a postdoctoral associate at MIT and collaborates with startups Commonwealth Fusion System and Type One Energy on the design, modeling, fabrication, and testing of superconducting coils for fusion devices. Nicolò has been actively involved in innovative solutions development, including leading a modeling student team in the SpaceX Hyperloop Competition. Nicolò aspires to contribute to the acceleration of fusion and superconductivity-based technologies' design, while also engaging in scientific dissemination. His current work tackles the numerical analysis, fabrication, and testing of non-planar demonstrators for stellarators using VIPER cable, showcasing its viability even after bending into non-planar shapes. His work has been recognized with the IEEE CSC Graduate Study Fellowship 2019 and the EPFL IC School Special Prize 2019.