RF heating needs and plans for ITER

RF heating systems are required to deliver more than half of the total auxiliary power to operate ITER successfully through the different levels. To achieve this goal, systems in the range of ICRF, LHF and ECRF will be implemented for different tasks in different phases of operation. Power levels proposed to be used in different ranges will vary depending on the needs. Different mixes of power will depend on the physics needs of the experimental programmes. Lower Hybrid power of 20 MW at 5.0 GHz is not planned for the startup phase and therefore no procurement scheme exists at the present time. 20 MW will be delivered into the plasma at 40 to 55 MHz as well as at 170 GHz with the help of Ion Cyclotron Heating (ICH) and Electron Cyclotron Heating (ECH) systems respectively. All the heating systems will have the capability to operate in continuous mode. A dedicated ECH 3.0 MW system at 127.6 GHz will be used for plasma breakdown and start up.