At the heart of ITER, a set of microwave launchers will target the plasma to make it hotter than the core of the sun and sustain the fusion reaction. The launchers are at the front end of the Electron Cyclotron Heating (ECH) system, vital to the performance of the world’s largest fusion device. The powerful waves are generated by power supplies and gyrotrons in a nearby building. The beam then travels through waveguides, and the launchers inject it into the reactor.
Europe is responsible for four upper launchers, which will be plugged into the top hemisphere of the Vacuum Vessel. Each launcher is 6 meters long and will deliver up to 8 MW, the power of about 8,000 kitchen microwaves. Much like a periscope, they use a system of mirrors to steer the beams to precise points within the plasma, helping to stabilise it.
In 2022, Fusion for Energy (F4E) signed a contract with the IDOM–ALSYMEX consortium to deliver the four launchers plus five ex-vessel waveguides (the fifth will be connected to a launcher from Japan). The project did not start with a blank slate. The F4E and ITER Organization (IO) teams had spent years refining the engineering design. To do so, they built on the deep expertise in ECH physics and technology of European laboratories such as SPC, CNR, KIT, DIFFER and IPP.
For the suppliers, the first challenge was industrialising the demanding design. That is, turning it into something that can be manufactured reliably. The process was thorough, with countless analyses, trials and prototypes, and it paid off. The design recently passed a critical review, giving the consortium green light to prepare for fabrication.
“We made it thanks to intensive teamwork and the input of experts from ITER, F4E, industry and laboratories. In the last years, we moved from the blueprint to hands-on work, identifying and qualifying manufacturing solutions while ensuring compliance with the demanding requirements,” says Sandra Julià, Project Manager at F4E.
Engineering the launcher is complex on many levels. Besides transmitting microwave beams efficiently and accurately, it must be maintained remotely and integrates a cooling system. Shielding is also crucial, as the component will face ITER’s intense radiation and heat. Can it endure it? To seek early answers, the teams built a full-scale mock-up of the launcher’s optical path. They then put it through a series of tests at FALCON, in SPC (Switzerland), and MISTRAL, in IPP (Germany), two advanced European testbeds capable of reproducing ITER’s extreme conditions.
“The extensive qualification activities have been fruitful, giving us a solid design and the confidence to move ahead. We are dealing with a first-of-a-kind system and, through the close collaboration with our partners, we are committed to making it an industrial success,” expresses Iñigo Eletxigerra, Project Manager at IDOM.
“This milestone reflects many years of sustained technical work on a particularly challenging system. Step by step, the teams have addressed the main design, integration and manufacturability issues, transforming complex engineering questions into practical solutions for ITER,” says Natalia Casal, ECH Project Leader at ITER Organization
In parallel, the project teams are also finalising the design of the waveguides, another important heating component approaching the production line.
Five categories to recognise outstanding industrial contributions in fusion.
What is the state of play in funding, research, patents and devices?
The beam source and calorimeter arrive in the Neutral Beam Test Facility.
F4E and Ansaldo Nucleare deliver machine to install heavy port plugs.
Europe’s achievements in the fusion ecosystem presented in a visual format.
F4E and Air Liquide complete commissioning of major ITER cryoplant system.