Parametric analysis of the TWA launcher for WEST using minority heating ICRH technique

This paper presents a parametric analysis of the conceptual design of the Travelling Wave Array (TWA) launcher for the WEST tokamak. Simulations were made using the EVE code to identify the optimal wavenumbers and frequencies for WEST standard hydrogen minority in deuterium plasma at 3.657 T. Results indicate that the maximum single pass absorption by hydrogen occurs between k_∥max = 8 and 10 rad m⁻¹ with optimal frequency range lying between 52 MHz and 57 MHz. Furthermore, mechanical integration constraints in WEST impose a preliminary TWA launcher design with a poloidal position of ±12^∘. However, at 55.5 MHz, a poloidal phasing of 180^∘ between the two launcher rows results in minimal power absorption by hydrogen due to destructive interference, thereby reducing fast ion generation. Further simulations show that increasing the electron density n_e0 (from 5 × 10¹⁹ m⁻³ to 7 × 10¹⁹ m⁻³) does not have big effect on the power partition between the different plasma species. Additionally, when the central electron temperature T_e0 rises, the effectiveness of collisional power transfer to bulk ions increases. Finally, a comparative analysis with the classical WEST two-strap launcher design highlights the improved performance of the TWA launcher, while the collisional power transfer to D and electrons is the same between TWA and classical launchers.