The ASDEX Upgrade ICRF system: Operational experience and developments

The ICRF system at the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak is in operation since May 1992. Following some modifications of which the major one was the installation of 3 dB couplers it has become a reliable additional heating system. The maximum power coupled into the plasma has been raised up to 7.2 MW (90% of the installed RF power) for short pulses and up to 6.2 MW for pulses several second long with energy of up to 29 MJ. A power of 5 MW is delivered on a regular basis to replace two NBI sources.