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From uncertainty to vitality: The future of nuclear energy in Illinois
Nuclear is enjoying a bit of a resurgence. The momentum for reliable energy to support economic development around the country—specifically data centers and AI—remains strong, and strongly in favor of nuclear. And as feature coverage on the states in the January 2026 issue of Nuclear News made abundantly clear, many states now see nuclear as necessary to support rising electricity demand while maintaining a reliable grid and reaching decarbonization goals.
Claire Luttrell, Tim Bigelow, Ethan Coffey, Ira Griffith, Greg Hanson, Arnold Lumsdaine, Alex Melin, Chuck Schaich
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 68 | Number 2 | September 2015 | Pages 402-406
Technical Paper | Proceedings of TOFE-2014 | doi.org/10.13182/FST14-980
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The ITER Electron Cyclotron Heating (ECH) system will produce a high-intensity beam of electromagnetic radiation for plasma heating. A total of 20 MW of power will be transferred from 170 GHz gyrotrons through multiple transmission lines. The transmission lines consist of evacuated, aluminum, circularly corrugated waveguides that will each transmit up to 1.5 MW for up to 3600 seconds. The waveguides, as well as mirror and polarizer components, will be actively water cooled in order to support the heat load from the long-pulse high-power radiation. Transmission lines will be as long as 200 meters, made up of individual lengths of 2 to 4 meter pieces that are joined by couplings. These couplings must retain high vacuum during operation, and maintain a very high degree of straightness between adjacent waveguide pieces. Analyses have been performed to examine various parameters of the design of these couplings, and confirm that stringent criteria are met during installation and operation. Further couplings are used to join the waveguide to other transmission line components, such as miter bends, expansion units, and switches. All of these are analyzed to confirm structural integrity during operation.