A major part of the mission of the ORNL RF Development Program is to work with experimental fusion facilities in the US and elsewhere. We help their programs by supplying expertise, manpower and some hardware for their experiments. The goals are two-fold:

Apply our expertise to help solve pressing problems that they may be having with their ICRF systems.

Test out new concepts or hardware developed by ORNL (or elsewhere) on a functioning experimental facility.

The collaborations are a win-win situation:

The laboratory supporting the fusion device wins because they get expertise that has been used in a variety of situations, on a large number of ICRF systems.

The RF Development Program wins because we get "hands-on' experience on actual ICRF systems, thus enhancing our experience base.

Active collaborations :

NSTX - High-harmonic fast wave system - design and operation

NSTX - Electron Bernstein wave system - design

DIII-D - ICRF system - design, operation, supply new antennas

QPS - Conceptual design of rf system

CDX-U - Design combline antenna system, collaborate on fabrication and operation

Alcator C-Mod - Design help, modeling of new antennas and comparison with experimental data

ET - Preliminary measurements using the folded waveguide

MST - Design and support of operation of LH system