High-frequency heating system for Wendelstein 7-X delivered

On August 9, 2021, the “ICRH antenna” developed in Jülich leaves for Greifswald.

The TEC partners ERM/KMS in Brussels and Forschungszentrum Jülich have jointly developed a high-frequency heating system for the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Greifswald over several years. This is intended to heat specific ions there in order to simulate the high-energy particles that occur in later fusion reactions. In this way, their behavior can already be studied.

While the colleagues in Brussels mainly contribute expertise in the field of radio frequency and the generators, Jülich, with its technological background from the Institute for Energy and Climate Research - Plasma Physics and the Central Institute for Engineering, has the main share in the development and construction of the antenna and periphery. The particular challenge was to adapt the antenna to the complex and variable shape of the plasma in Wendelstein 7-X.

After installation in Greifswald, the antenna is scheduled to go into operation in the next experiment phase at the end of 2022.