The magnetohydrodynamic power generator-basic principles, state of the art, and areas of application

Abstract:The paper opens with a review and discussion of the basic principles of MHD power generation. It is seen that the MHD generator operates in a manner similar to that of a conventional generator in that the "armature" of the MHD is a hot, high-speed electrically-conducting gas, while the force or torque-required to move a metallic conductor through a field is replaced by a pressure gradient in the gaseous armature. Thus the functions of turbine and generator are combined in a single machine. Because this machine has no moving parts, it can, in principle, accept a working fluid at very high temperature., and its influence on MHD generator design and performance is pointed out.. Recent developments in superconducting materials, plus detailed studies of MHD-generator fluid mechanics in a large combustion-driven generator point to early realization of the potential of MHD.