EU DEMO EC equatorial launcher pre-conceptual performance studies

The preliminary conceptual design for the Electron Cyclotron (EC) system of the future European DEMOnstration fusion power plant is ongoing in the EUROfusion Consortium. This represents one of the key aspects in order to assess the performances and the integration capabilities of such a system in EU DEMO as well as in the alternative reactor configuration Flexi-DEMO. Different options for the antenna, namely remote steering antenna (RSA), open ended waveguides (OEWG) and the front steering antenna (FSA) later on renamed in mid steering antenna (MSA) to notify that the MSA is protected behind the breeding blanket (BB) in DEMO, are investigated, analyzing their performance for several injection angles and launch points. This activity considers the constraints given by physics and engineering requirements, as for example the maximum power per port and the necessary local current drive to stabilize neo-classical tearing modes (NTMs) with a proper deposition width. The beam tracing calculations have been performed on different scenarios, providing information on plasma accessibility and deposited power. The microwave design and initial ideas about the ex-vessel EC transmission lines routing will be shown.