Gyrotrons for Fusion Power Plants

Recent advancements in fusion power have led to focused research on cost-effective electricity generation. While plasma physics studies continue, researchers are also working on practical challenges, such as protecting the reactor walls, managing tritium fuel, and improving plasma heating devices. It is anticipated that electron cyclotron heating will be a primary heating mechanism and that improved gyrotrons will be required. Economical fusion power will require gyrotrons that are lower cost and more efficient than currently available. Key requirements will be efficiency higher than 60% and a radio frequency (RF) output power in waveguide. This will also require advanced power supply systems.

The research here is focused on the development of gyrotron systems suitable for fusion power plants. Development of a multistage depressed collector capable of 70% efficiency is described, as well as the development of an improved output coupler that improves efficiency with a significant reduction in gyrotron system cost. This paper also describes the development of machine Learning algorithms to control the power supplies and maximize efficiency under all gyrotron operating conditions.