AVANCEM Engineering, an advanced engineering company belonging to MADEMAN GROUP, is driving CORWAVE, a research, development and innovation initiative focused on technology transfer and the future industrialisation of Corrugated Circular Waveguides (CCWG) for high-power radiofrequency and microwave applications.
The project was established to develop national industrial capabilities in a highly specialised technology used in large scientific facilities and particularly relevant to the plasma heating and control systems of fusion devices.
CORWAVE is part of AVANCEM’s strategy to expand its activity from the engineering and manufacture of advanced components into the development of proprietary technologies for strategic scientific and industrial sectors.
An essential technology for future fusion reactors
Magnetic confinement devices, such as tokamaks and stellarators, use various systems to heat and control the plasma in which fusion reactions take place.
These include ECRH/ECCD systems (Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating / Electron Cyclotron Current Drive), which use high-power microwaves to transfer energy to plasma electrons and help control the current distribution.
These microwaves must be transmitted from their generation sources, such as gyrotrons, to the reactor’s injection systems through specially designed transmission lines.
Corrugated circular waveguides are fundamental components of these lines, enabling the efficient propagation of electromagnetic modes suited to high-power microwave transmission, with low losses and controlled behaviour.
Their manufacture requires a combination of geometric precision, surface quality, electromagnetic knowledge, advanced manufacturing processes and rigorous verification procedures.
From scientific research to industrial capability
One of CORWAVE’s main objectives is to advance the transfer of scientific and technological knowledge into reproducible and competitive industrial processes.
The initiative envisages technological collaboration with CIEMAT’s National Fusion Laboratory (LNF-CIEMAT), a leading Spanish institution in fusion energy research and associated technologies.
The approach includes studying functional and electromagnetic specifications, adapting designs to industrial manufacturing processes, developing prototypes and defining dimensional inspection and validation methodologies.
Collaboration with scientific and technological organisations is also envisaged for the characterisation and testing of the components developed.
The aim is to help build industrial capabilities that can reduce dependence on a limited number of international suppliers and strengthen European technological autonomy in strategic components for fusion energy.
Engineering, advanced manufacturing and validation
CORWAVE draws on the combination of AVANCEM’s engineering capabilities and MADEMAN GROUP’s industrial resources.
The initiative proposes progressively addressing different stages of technological development:
- Mechanical design and adaptation of components to demanding electromagnetic requirements.
- Development of precision manufacturing processes and machining of corrugated geometries.
- Manufacture and evaluation of prototypes.
- Metrology and dimensional inspection of components.
- Definition of cleaning, inspection and quality assurance procedures.
- Preparation of characterisation and technological validation methodologies.
The medium-term objective is to progress from the initial development and demonstration stages towards solutions suitable for industrial manufacture, using controlled, repeatable and scalable processes.
Applications beyond fusion energy
Although CORWAVE originates in the technological needs of microwave heating systems for fusion devices, its potential applications extend to other scientific and industrial fields.
These include particle accelerators, advanced radiofrequency systems, certain space applications and other facilities requiring high-precision, high-performance microwave transmission.
This technological versatility creates opportunities for knowledge transfer between different sectors and for the development of new areas of industrial activity.
A commitment to the technological industry of the future
CORWAVE represents a strategic development area for AVANCEM, aligned with its participation in large scientific facility projects and its growing specialisation in vacuum technologies, cryogenics, radiofrequency and advanced manufacturing.
The initiative reflects a long-term vision: transforming advanced scientific knowledge into industrial capabilities that contribute to the development of new energy and scientific technologies.
Through CORWAVE, AVANCEM aims to progress from manufacturing demanding components towards the development and industrialisation of strategic technologies for fusion energy and large scientific infrastructures.
