J. Jin

2.2-MW Record Power of the 170-GHz European Preprototype Coaxial-Cavity Gyrotron for ITER

A 2-MW continuous-wave (CW) 170-GHz coaxial-cavity gyrotron for electron cyclotron heating and current drive in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is under development within the European Gyrotron Consortium (EGYC1), a cooperation between European research institutions. To support the development of the industrial prototype of a CW gyrotron, a short-pulse tube (preprototype) is used at KIT Karlsruhe (former FZK) for experimental verification of the design of critical components, like the electron gun, beam tunnel, cavity, and quasi-optical RF output coupler. Significant progress has been achieved recently. In particular, RF output power of up to 2.2 MW with 30% output efficiency has been obtained in single-mode operation at 170 GHz. Furthermore, a new RF output system has been designed, with an efficient conversion of the generated RF power into a Gaussian RF output beam. The results have been successful, yielding a Gaussian mode content ~96%.

First experimental results from the European Union 2 MW coaxial cavity ITER gyrotron prototype

Abstract The European Union is working toward providing 2-MW, coaxial-cavity, continuous-wave (cw) 170-GHz gyrotrons for ITER. Their design is based on results from an experimental preprototype tube having a pulse length of several milliseconds, in operation at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (FZK) for several years now. The first industrial prototype tube was designed for cw operation but, in a first phase, aimed at a pulse length of 1 s at the European Gyrotron Test Facility in Lausanne, Switzerland, as part of a phased testing/development program (1 s, 60 s, cw). The first experimental results of the operation of this prototype gyrotron are reported here. The microwave generation was characterized at very short pulse length (<0.01 s) using a load on loan from FZK, and the highest measured output power was 1.4 MW, at a beam energy significantly lower than the design value (83 kV instead of 90 kV), limited by arcing in the tube. The radio-frequency (rf) beam profile was measured to allow reconstruction of the phase and amplitude profile at the window and to provide the necessary information permitting proper alignment of the compact rf loads prior to pulse extension. Arcs in the tube limited the pulse length extension to a few tens of milliseconds. According to present planning, the tube is going to be opened, inspected, and refurbished, depending on the results of the inspection, to allow testing of an improved version of the mode launcher and replacement of some subassemblies.

Novel Numerical Method for the Analysis and Synthesis of the Fields in Highly Oversized Waveguide Mode Converters

A numerical method for the analysis of the fields in highly oversized waveguides is proposed in this paper. This method allows the simulation of the fields on waveguide walls with arbitrary surface deformations in the case that the waveguide is highly oversized, and the wall deformations are shallow and smooth. Combined with the analysis method, an algorithm has been developed for synthesizing the waveguide wall to provide a desired field distribution. As an example, a 309.6-mm-long waveguide launcher has been designed for a 170-GHz coaxial-cavity gyrotron to transform the TE34,19 cavity mode to a fundamental Gaussian distribution. An efficiency of transformation to the desired fundamental Gaussian mode of 96.3% has been obtained at the launcher aperture, whereas the transformation efficiency is just 86% using a conventional dimpled-wall launcher with a length of 660 mm.

A 2 MW, 170 GHz coaxial cavity gyrotron - experimental verification of the design of main components

The feasibility of manufacturing a 2-MW CW coaxial cavity gyrotron at 170 GHz has been demonstrated and data required for fabrication of an industrial tube have been obtained. An engineering design of a prototype started recently with the goal to provide gyrotrons with 2-MW microwave output power for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The design of critical components of the prototype tube as electron gun, cavity and RF output system will be verified under realistic conditions at short pulses using the experimental coaxial gyrotron at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe.

Theoretical investigation of an advanced launcher for a 2-MW 170-GHz TE/sub 34,19/ coaxial cavity gyrotron

This paper investigates the antenna waveguide (launcher), the main component of the quasi-optical mode converter of a 2-MW 170-GHz TE/sub 34,19/ coaxial cavity gyrotron, which is under development within the European Union. For coaxial gyrotrons operating in very high-order cavity modes like the TE/sub 34,19/, due to the ratio of the caustic to cavity radius of 0.323, the transformation of the high-order cavity mode into a nearly Gaussian distribution cannot be done as good as for gyrotron modes where the ratio of caustic to cavity radius is approximately 0.5. The simulation results for the TE/sub 34,19/ mode show that the average and peak values of the power density at the edges of the cuts of a conventional dimpled-wall launcher are approximately 32.3 W/cm/sup 2/ and 63.8, respectively, which will produce diffraction losses and reflection of power from the cuts. This paper reports on an advanced launcher for which average and peak values of power density of 1.9 and 5.4 W/cm/sup 2/ at the edges of the cuts are achieved, and a well-focused field at the aperture with a scalar Gaussian mode content of 94.8% is obtained.

Quasi-Optical Mode Converter/Mirror System for a High-Power Coaxial-Cavity Gyrotron

This paper presents the investigation of a mirror system of a quasi-optical (QO) mode converter for a high-power coaxial-cavity gyrotron. The mirror system consists of three mirrors. The first mirror is a quasi-elliptical one. Based on the Katsenelenbaum-Semenov Algorithm (KSA), the second and the third mirrors are iteratively optimized as adapted phase-correcting mirrors to transform the outgoing wave beam into a fundamental Gaussian structure. The investigation shows that the focal length of the quasi-elliptical mirror has a great influence on the optimized conversion efficiency, and, hence, it should be chosen to match the asymptotic beam growth (ABG) angle well in order to obtain high conversion efficiency. The design of a mirror system has been performed for a 2 MW, continuous wave (CW), 170 GHz, and TE34,19 -mode coaxial-cavity gyrotron, which is under development at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Germany. Taking into account the size of the mirrors and the conversion efficiency, a mirror system has been designed with a conversion efficiency of 98.3%

From Series Production of Gyrotrons for W7-X Toward EU-1 MW Gyrotrons for ITER

Europe is devoting significant joint efforts to develop and to manufacture MW-level gyrotrons for electron cyclotron heating and current drive of future plasma experiments. The two most important ones are the stellarator Wendelstein W7-X at Greifswald and the Tokamak ITER at Cadarache. While the series production of the 140 GHz, 1 MW, CW gyrotrons for the 10-MW electron cyclotron resonance heating system of stellarator W7-X is proceeding, the European GYrotron Consortium is presently developing the EU-1 MW, 170 GHz, CW gyrotron for ITER. The initial design had already been initiated in 2007, as a risk mitigation measure during the development of the advanced ITER EU-2-MW coaxial-cavity gyrotron. The target of the ITER EU-1-MW conventional-cavity design is to benefit as much as possible from the experiences made during the development and series production of the W7-X gyrotron and of the experiences gained from the earlier EU-2-MW coaxial-cavity gyrotron design. Hence, the similarity of the construction will be made visible in this paper. During 2012, the scientific design of the ITER EU-1-MW gyrotron components has been finalized. In collaboration with the industrial partner Thales electron devices, Vélizy, France, the industrial design of the technological parts of the gyrotron is being completed. A short-pulse prototype is under development to support the design of the CW prototype tube. The technological path toward the EU ITER-1 MW gyrotron and the final design will be presented.

Development of a 2-MW, CW Coaxial Gyrotron at 70 GHz and Test Facility for ITER

In ITER, EC heating and current drive (H&CD) is foreseen not only as a principal auxiliary system for plasma heating and as assist for plasma start-up, but is considered essential in meeting the key requirement of neoclassical tearing mode (NTM) stabilisation, by localized current drive. In the reference ECH design, ITER requires a total of 20 MW/CW power at 170 GHz using gyrotrons with a unit power of 1 MW. A higher power per unit (2 MW/gyrotron) would result in a strong reduction of the cost of the whole ECRH system, and would also relax the room constraints on the launcher antenna design. In view of the capability of coaxial cavity gyrotrons demonstrated with short pulse experiments at FZK, the European Fusion Development Agreement (EFDA) has started in 2003 the development of an industrial 170 GHz 2 MW/CW coaxial cavity gyrotron, in a collaborative effort between European research associations CRPP/EPFL, FZK, TEKES and Thals Electron Devices (TED). The development plan includes three steps to reach successively 2 MW/1s, 2 MW/60s and finally 2 MW/CW operation. The procurement of the first prototype is in progress and it scheduled to be delivered during the first quarter of 2006. The experimental tests of the prototypes will be carried out at CRPP/EPFL, where an ITER relevant test facility is presently under construction and will be achieved during the second half of 2005. The test facility is designed to be flexible enough, allowing the possible commissioning of tubes with different characteristics, as well the tests of the launcher antenna at full performances.

A generic mode selection strategy for high-order mode gyrotrons operating at multiple frequencies

High-power, high-frequency gyrotrons for electron cyclotron resonance heating and current drive, such as proposed for the demonstration thermonuclear fusion reactor DEMO, require operating modes of very high order. As it is shown, the selection of the operating modes for such gyrotrons can be based on multi-frequency operability. A general selection strategy is derived, suitable for multi-purpose multi-frequency gyrotrons with quasi-optical mode converter and single-disc output window. Two examples, one of them relevant for future DEMO gyrotron designs, are discussed.

High-Efficiency Quasi-Optical Mode Converter for a 1-MW

A 1-MW, continuous wave, 170-GHz, TE32,9-mode gyrotron for use in International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is under development within the European Gyrotron Consortium. A quasi-optical mode converter is employed in the gyrotron to transform the high-order cavity mode into a fundamental Gaussian wave beam. The quasi-optical mode converter contains a launcher and a mirror system. The launcher is numerically optimized to provide Gaussian mode content of 98.43% at the launcher aperture. The mirror system consists of three mirrors. The first mirror is a quasi-elliptical mirror, the second and third mirrors are beam-shaping mirrors, which are used to change the beam parameters, such as the beam waist and the position of the focusing plane. The field distribution in the mode converter has been analyzed. The simulation results show that the fundamental Gaussian mode content of the wave beam is 98.6% at the window plane. A first numerical estimation of the stray radiation generated by the mode converter is 1.75%, to be verified in future measurements. The proper synthesis of the quasi-optical mode converter has been verified by comparison of the simulation results from TWLDO with results obtained using the commercial 3-D full-wave vector analysis SURF3D code.