Design and analysis of the structural components in the ITER ECH upper port plug

The structural components of the ITER ECH upper port plug are presented which integrates the mm-wave beam lines of the front steering launcher for the control of plasma instabilities. The design of the main structure considers two alternatives. Firstly, a double wall configuration for the port plug frame responds to homogeneous baking requirements at 240 °C. Secondly, an alternative frame is presented with a single wall in sections that do not require active cooling. The blanket shield module (BSM) is designed as a double-wall housing with a first wall panel (FWP) and individual shield blocks respecting the open space for the mm-wave beams. The cut-out sections to the design of the FWP and the neighbouring lower regular blanket module are defined for the beams of the actual front steering model. The thermo-mechanical stresses of the FWP and the BSM housing caused by nuclear heating and plasma radiation were analysed for the more severe case of the earlier remote steering ("3/8 RS") reference model. As a result of the calculations for stationary loads and for transient loads during a typical plasma burn of 400 s, no critical stresses have to be expected in the BSM housing. © 2007 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.