Design and Development of high power matching network for variable load

This paper presents the design and development of a high power mock-up RF system used in Tokamak for matching of variable load. Developed mock-up is rated for 2kW power handling capability at the desired frequency, 182.5MHz. It comprises various components such as coaxial transmission lines, coupler, stub tuners, phase shifter, RF antennae, etc. A moveable water tank has been utilized to emulate the plasma load variation as in real Tokamak. The moveable water tank provides a continuously variable load in front of the RF antenna to test the matching capability of the developed mock-up. The developed system has been tested using the Vector Network Analyzer (VNA). The test results are presented in the paper, where the importance of each component used in the system has been highlighted. The work presented here is useful for the development of a load resilient ICRF system of the Tokamak. The developed components in the mock-up can also be useful in various fields such as radar, satellite, radio communication and broadcasting etc.