Influence of mutual coupling between ICRH antenna straps on the load resilience of hybrid couplers
- Laboratory for Plasma Physics, Association EURATOM-Belgian State, Partner in TEC, Royal Military Academy, B-1000 Brussels (Belgium)
The mutual coupling present between ICRF antenna straps can strongly reduce the performance of quadrature hybrid couplers when used as 'ELM dump' circuits. An analytical study of this effect shows that during resistive ELM-like load perturbations of a matched circuit configuration, the fraction of the reflected power returned to the generator through the hybrid has a lower bound that rapidly increases with the ratio {xi}{approx} (mutual reactance between straps)/(strap input resistance). At very low levels of mutual the reflected power is efficiently diverted to the dummy load. However when {xi} becomes of order 1, which readily occurs at low resistive loading, the load resilience of the quadrature hybrid coupler becomes inhibited. Illustrations based on matching circuit simulations for the JET ITER-like ICRF antenna are presented. The behaviour of the hybrids is found the same with the load resilient 'conjugate T' circuit as in the case of 'classic' tuners. The insertion of decoupling circuits between the tuners and the antenna significantly improves the load resilience.
- OSTI ID:
- 21032742
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 933, Issue 1; Conference: 17. topical conference on radio frequency power in plasmas, Clearwater, FL (United States), 7-9 May 2007; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2800460; (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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