Integrated numerical design of an innovative Lower Hybrid launcher for Alcator C-Mod

The new Alcator C-Mod LHCD system (LH2) is based on the concept of a four way splitter [1] which evenly splits the RF power among the four waveguides that compose one of the 16 columns of the LH grill. In this work several simulation tools have been used to study the LH2 coupling performance and the launched spectra when facing a plasma, numerically verifying the effectiveness of the four way splitter concept and further improving its design. The TOPLHA code has been used for modeling reflections at the antenna/plasma interface. TOPLHA results have been then coupled to the commercial code CST Microwave Studio to efficiently optimize the four way splitter geometry for several plasma scenarios. Subsequently, the COMSOL Multiphysics code has been used to self consistently take into account the electromagnetic-thermal-structural interactions. This comprehensive and predictive analysis has proven to be very valuable for understanding the behavior of the system when facing the plasma and has profoundly influenced several design choices of the LH2. According to the simulations, the final design ensures even poloidal power splitting for a wide range of plasma parameters, which ultimately results in an improvement of the wave coupling and an increased maximum operating power.