Using acoustic detectors to monitor iter ich transmission lines arc events

Severe and continuous arcs in transmission lines systems can be detrimental to the RF sources and the associated transmission lines. In order to prevent any damage to the whole system, arc detection and protective system shutdown are required for ITER ICH operations. In this case, it is desired to locate and replace the damaged transmission line sections caused by the arcs during routine maintenance; thus identifying the arc location during each occurrence will be needed to facilitate the maintenance work. There have been quite a few proposals for localizing the arcs positions in the past. However, there has been no major breakthrough in this research topic especially when the number of detectors is finite and limited. Because the ITER transmission lines are pressurized with dry air, each arc event will be accompanied with a shock wave propagating through the transmission lines. In this case, it is possible to determine the arc location by using two acoustic detectors in the transmission line under ideal conditions.