Study of the ITER ICRH system with external matching by means of a mock-up loaded by a variable water load

A mock-up of the complete antenna array (24 straps grouped in 8 triplets) of the ICRH system with external matching for ITER has been constructed with a length reduction factor of 5. At a frequency increased by the same factor the electrical properties of the full-scale system can be measured in the presence of non-dispersive medium. A movable water tank in front of the array simulates variable plasma loading. Measurements of the matching performances of various external circuit configurations and of the scattering matrix of the system show (i) the non-negligible effect of mutual coupling on load resilient matching by Conjugate T (CT) or hybrid leading to coupling between the matching actuators and the generators and asymmetry in power distribution, (ii) good load resilience of a single CT for the right choice of configuration and number of matching parameters, (iii) the large number of matching solutions for coupled CTs and (iv) the benefit of passive power distribution to the straps. This has been successfully tested in the case of the complete array. The power is passively distributed among the upper half and the bottom half of the 24 radiating straps of the antenna plug. The 4 top and 4 bottom triplets are, respectively, set in parallel outside the antenna plug near a voltage anti-node by means of T junctions. The load resilient matching (VSWR <1.3 for an antenna loading variation of about 1–8 Ω m−1) is then obtained by a 4-parameters single CT configuration or a hybrid. The maximum voltage along the line remains equal to the one in the antenna plug and there is a fair power share between the straps. A straightforward robust matching procedure of the complete array is described.The effective radiation resistance of different toroidal and poloidal phasing conditions is measured and compared. The paper also underlines the significant influence of the presence of the electrostatic screen and the resulting increase in the recess of the straps on the reduction of the coupling to the load and of the mutual coupling between the straps.