Analysis of the phase control of the ITER ICRH antenna array. Influence on the load resilience and radiated power spectrum

Abstract

The paper analyses how the phasing of the ITER ICRH 24 strap array evolves from the power sources up to the strap currents of the antenna. The study of the phasing control and coherence through the feeding circuits with prematching and automatic matching and decoupling network is made by modeling starting from the TOPICA matrix of the antenna array for a low coupling plasma profile and for current drive phasing (worst case for mutual coupling effects). The main results of the analysis are: (i) the strap current amplitude is well controlled by the antinode V-max amplitude of the feeding lines, (ii) the best toroidal phasing control is done by the adjustment of the mean phase of V-max of each poloidal straps column, (iii) with well adjusted system the largest strap current phasing error is +/- 20 degrees, (iv) the effect on load resilience remains well below the maximum affordable VSWR of the generators, (v) the effect on the radiated power spectrum versus k//computed by means of the coupling code ANTITER II remains small for the considered cases. [GRAPHICS] .