MHD generator

The MHD (magnetohydrodynamic) generator or dynamo transforms thermal energy or kinetic energy directly intoelectricity. MHD generators are different from traditional electric generators in that they can operate at high temperatures without moving parts. MHD was developed because the exhaust of a plasma MHD generator is a flame, still able to heat the boilers of a steam power plant. So high-temperature MHD was developed as a topping cycle to increase the efficiency ofelectric generation, especially when burning coal or natural gas. MHD dynamos are the complement of MHD propulsors, which have been applied to pump liquid metals and in several experimental ship engines.

MHD generator Key segmentees - segmented electrodes solenoides - solenoids sortie - output entree - entry tuyere de mise en vitesse - acceleration nozzle
The basic concept underlying the mechanical and fluid dynamos is the same. The fluid dynamo, however, uses the motion of fluid or plasma to generate the currents which generate the electrical energy. The mechanical dynamo, in contrast, uses the motion of mechanical devices to accomplish this. The functional difference between an MHD generator and an MHD dynamo is the path the charged particles follow. MHD generators are now practical for fossil fuels, but have been overtaken by other, less expensive technologies, such as combined cycles in which agas turbine's or molten carbonate fuel cell's exhaust heats steam for steam turbine. Natural MHD dynamos are an active area of research in plasma physicsand are of great interest to the geophysics and astrophysics communities. From their perspective the earth is a global MHD dynamo and with the aid of the particles on the solar wind produces the aurora borealis. The differently charged electromagnetic layers produced by the dynamo effect on the Earth's geomagnetic field enable the appearance of the aurora borealis. As power is extracted from the plasma of the solar wind, the particles slow and are drawn down along the field lines in a brilliant display over the poles.

Magnetohydrodynamic power generation provides a way of generating electricity directly from a fast moving stream of ionised gases without the need for any moving mechanical parts - no turbines and no rotary generators. Several MHD projects were initiated in the 1960s but overcoming the technical challenges of making a practical system proved very expensive. Interest consequently waned in favour of nuclear power which since that time has seemed a more attractive option.

MHD power generation has also been studied as a method for extracting electrical power from nuclear reactors and also from more conventional fuel combustion systems

Working Principle
The MHD generator can be considered to be a fluid dynamo. This is similar to a mechanical dynamo in which the motion of a metal conductor through a magnetic field creates a current in the conductor except that in the MHD generator the metal conductor is replaced by a conducting gas plasma. When a conductor moves through a magnetic field it creates an electrical field perpendicular to the magnetic field and the direction of movement of the conductor. This is the principle, discovered by Michael Faraday, behind the conventional rotary electricity generator. Dutch physicist AntoonLorentz provided the mathematical theory to quantify its effects.

The flow (motion) of the conducting plasma through a magnetic field causes a voltage to be generated (and an associated current to flow) across the plasma , perpendicular to both the plasma flow and the magnetic field according to Fleming's Right Hand Rule

Lorentz Law describing the effects of a charged particle moving in a constant magnetic field can be stated as F = QvB where F is the force acting on the charged particle Q is charge of particle v is velocity of particle B is magnetic field

The MHD System

The MHD generator needs a high temperature gas source, which could be the coolant from a nuclear reactor or more likely high temperature combustion gases generated by burning fossil fuels, including coal, in a combustion chamber. The diagram below shows possible system components.

The expansion nozzle reduces the gas pressure and consequently increases the plasma speed (Bernoulli's Law) through the generator duct to increase the power output (See Power below). Unfortunately, at the same time, the pressure drop causes the plasma temperature to fall (Gay-Lussac's Law) which also increases the plasma resistance, so a compromise between Bernoulli and Gay-Lussac must be found. The exhaust heat from the working fluid is used to drive a compressor to increase the fuel combustion rate but much of the heat will be wasted unless it can be used in another process.

The Plasma The prime system requirement is creating and managing the conducting gas plasma since the system depends on the plasma having a high electrical conductivity. Suitable working fluids are gases derived from combustion, noble gases, and alkali metal vapours.

The Gas Plasma To achieve high conductivity, the gas must be ionised, detaching the electrons from the atoms or molecules leaving positively charged ions of the gas. The plasma flows through the magnetic field at high speed, in some designs, more than the speed of sound, the flow of the charged particles providing the necessary moving electrical conductor. Methods of Ionising the Gas Various methods for ionising the gas are available, all of which depend on imparting sufficient energy to the gas. It may be accomplished by heating or irradiating the gas with X rays or Gamma rays. It has also been proposed to use the coolant gases such as helium and carbon dioxide employed in some nuclear reactors as the plasma fuel for direct MHD electricity generation rather than extracting the heat energy of the gas through heat exchangers to raise steam to drive turbine generators. Seed materials such as Potassium carbonate or Cesium are often added in small amounts, typically about 1% of the total mass flow to increase the ionisation and improve the conductivity, particularly of combustion gas plasmas. Containment Since the plasma temperature is typically over 1000 C, the duct containing the plasma must be constructed from non-conducting materials capable of withstanding these high temperatures. The electrodes must of course be conducting as well as heat resistant . Note that 90% conductivity can be achieved with a fairly low degree of ionisation of only about 1%. (Note also logarithmic scale)

The Faraday Current A powerful electromagnet provides the magnetic field through which the plasma flows, and perpendicular to this field are installed the two electrodes on opposite sides of the plasma across which the electrical output voltage is generated. The current flowing across the plasma between these electrodes is called the Faraday current. This provides the main electrical output of the MHD generator.

The Hall Effect Current The very high Faraday output current which flows across the plasma duct into the load itself reacts with the applied magnetic field creating a Hall Effect current perpendicular to the Faraday current, in other words, a current along the axis of the plasma, resulting in lost energy. The total current generated will be the vector sum of the transverse (Faraday) and axial (Hall effect) current components. Unless it can be captured in some way, the Hall effect current will constitute an energy loss . Various configurations of electrodes have been devised to capture both the Faraday and Hall effect components of the current in order to improve the overall MHD conversion efficiency. One such method is to split the electrode pair into a series of segments physically side by side (parallel) but insulated from eachother, with the segmented electrode pairs connected in series to achieve a higher voltage but with a lower current. Instead of the electrodes being directly opposite eachother, perpendicular to the plasma stream, they are skewed at a slight angle from perpendicular to be in line with the vector sum of the Faraday and Hall effect currents, as shown in the diagram below, thus allowing the maximum energy to be extracted from the plasma.

Power Output The output power is proportional to the cross sectional area and the flow rate of the ionised plasma. The conductive substance is also cooled and slowed in this process. MHD generators typically reduce the temperature of the conductive substance from plasma temperatures to just over 1000 C.

An MHD generator produces a direct current output which needs an expensive high power inverter to convert the output into alternating current for connection to the grid.

Efficiency Typical efficiencies of MHD generators are around 10 to 20 percent mainly due to the heat lost through the high temperature exhaust. This limits the MHD's potential applications as a stand alone device but they were originally designed to be used in combination with other energy converters in hybrid applications where the output gases (flames) are used as the energy source to raise steam in a steam turbine plant. Total plant efficiencies of 65% could be possible in such arrangements.

Experience Demonstration plants with capacities of 50 MW or more have been built in several countries but MHD generators are expensive. Typical use could be in peak shaving applications but they are less efficient

than combined-cycle gas turbines which means there are very few installations and MHD is currently not considered for mainstream commercial power generation.

ADVANTAGES OF MHD GENERATION - From Scrib.com

MHD generation offers several advantages as compared to other methods of electric generation. 1) The conversion efficiency of a MHD system can be 50% as compared to less than 40 percent for the most efficient steam plants. 2) Large amount of power is generated. 3) It has no moving parts, so more reliable and mechanically elegant. 4) It has ability to reach the full power level as soon as started. 5) Because of higher efficiency, the overall generation cost of an MHD plant will be less. 6) The more efficient heat utilization would decreases the amount of heat discharged to environment and the cooling water requirements would also be lower. 7) The higher efficiency means better fuel utilization. The reduce fuel consumption would offer additional economic and social benefits. 8) The Closed cycle system produces power free of pollution. It will not be long before MHD power generation transforms itself from non-conventional to conventional energy sources. Why MHD? What are advantages * From NASA - Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Japan "Simple Structure Only MHD channel (electrodes, insulator) and Magnet High Power density --- high electric field, current density Compact machine Small output applications Ceramic material can be used High Efficiency Save energy resources & Low Environmental Issues No moving parts No turbine and no rotating generator" Merits of MHD power generation are as follows; 1) simple structure, 2) working at high-temperatures, 3) high Carnot-cycle efficiency, and 4) easy to realize combined cycle with other systems. - The International Conference on Electrical Engineering 2008 Solar MHD, Inc., a New York corporation, is an alternative energy company dedicated to designing, engineering and developing a more competitively efficient way of generating electric power from any heat source, including solar energy, utilizing magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) technology. About the Founder: Thomas P. Kay, He was a solar energy consultant for Exxon Enterprises, a subsidiary of Exxon Corporation, He presently holds two solar MHD patents. Solar MHD Inc, has been developing Solar MHD systems for over 35 years. . MHD technology can produce electricity from any heat source, but operates optimally by using solar energy in order to reach peak efficiency and economy of scale. Waste heat generated by fossil fuel power stations and other sources may also be used, hence units can also be manufactured for use as topping-cycle enhancers in conventional power plants. The unique value of MHD is that it permits an older single-cycle fossil-fuel power plant to be upgraded to high efficiency.

Solar MHD, Inc. believes that its MHD systems will significantly reduce energy costs and provide an alternative, costcompetitive and environmentally benign alternative method of producing electricity. MHD might represent a vastly more competitive way of generating electric power from any heat source and promises to be most efficient for commercialization by using the essentially free energy of the sun. For more information: (845) 679-5096 - Info

MHD Faraday Generator

Solar MHD (Magneto-Hydrodynamic) Electric Generators operate more efficiently than conventional power plants. This patented system attains very high-efficiencies and is non-polluting by using the sun to superheat a gas plasma. The plasma is then cycled into a chamber where strong magnets, because the gas is superheated, are able to collect electrons from the gas which are then conducted away with electrodes, these electrodes serve much the same purpose as the brushes in a conventional generator. The gas by virtue of its motion through the magnetic field has an electromotive force generated in it which drives a current through it. The plasma gas recycles through the system, is replenished and the cycle continues.

The distinguishing feature of a magnetohydrodynamic generator as compared to a conventional turbogenerator is that is utilizes an ionized and, hence, electrically conducting plasma gas. In a magnetohydrodynamic device the moving conductor (gas) is a three-dimensional continuum rather than a bundle of essentially one-dimensional wires. The Solar MHD high-electric-power system has few moving mechanical parts which means the system lasts longer than conventional fossil fuel burnings systems and requires less maintenance over the life of the system. All this means cleaner, cheaper, quieter power generation for businesses, residential complexes, and municipal utilities. The MHD cycle should provide a very high conversion efficiency, possibly approaching 70% (Cicconradi et al 1997, Kayukawa, 2000).

Parabolic dish solar energy concentrating collectors can achieve temperatures well above 2,000 degrees-F in order to power MHD generators. Higher operating temperatures significantly increase thermal to energy efficiencies. The Sun heats the gas to temperatures sufficient for the start of thermal ionization - ionized state. The future electrical power needs of industrial countries will have to be met for the most part by thermal systems composed of a heat source and an energy conversion device. In accordance with thermodynamic considerations, the maximum potential efficiency of such a system (i.e., the Carnot efficiency) is determined by the temperature of the heat source. However, the maximum actual efficiency of the system will be limited by the maximum temperature employed in the energy conversion device. The closer the temperature of the working fluid in the energy conversion device to the temperature of the heat source, the higher the maximum potential efficiency of the overall system. The maximum limiting temperature for turbine blades being 750-800C, the MHD generator is capable of tapping the vast potential offered by modern furnaces, which can reach temperatures of more than 2500 K, and up to 3000 K with preheating of air. Because MHD power generators, in contrast to turbines, do not require the use of moving solid materials in the gas stream, they can operate at much higher temperatures. Calculations show that fossil-fuelled MHD generators may be capable of operating at efficiencies between 50 and 60 percent. Higher operating efficiencies would lead to improved conservation of natural resources, reduced thermal pollution, and lower fuel costs. Studies currently in progress suggest also the possibility of reduced air pollution. The last few decades have witnessed a clear trend in high temperature solar thermal electricity generation: increasing the concentration of sunlight, the operation temperature, and subsequently the efficiency of conversion from sunlight to electricity. Solar MHD, technology converts solar energy to electrical energy at very high temperatures. When it is Combined with a turbine-generator ("a cascade power system"), magnetohydrodynamics systems are projected to be capable of efficiencies exceeding 60 percent with no emissions. This pursuit of ever-higher efficiency is economically motivated: sunlight is of course free. PRINCIPLE OF MHD POWER GENERATION MHD power generation is based on Faradays law of electromagnetic induction. When conductive fluid flows through a magnetic field that is perpendicular to the flowing direction, it will cut the magnetic lines and then the electromotive force is induced in the direction perpendicular to both magnetic field direction and flow direction. Solar MHD will be utilizing extreme engineering and equipment to develop our proprietary technology that will exploit new materials and advanced technology. Solar MHD will also incorporate recent advancements in the efficiency of permanent magnets and new heat-resistant materials. Solar MHD power plants hold the promise to revolutionize the power industry as we know it. During the initial phase of Solar MHD business operation we will have designed, built, and tested a solar MHD unit that can be shown to be financially profitable to our company. MHD Generators Are Energy Conversion Machines

MHD power generation is a very promising direct solar thermal power generation technology.

By using solar energy the High Temperature Solar MHD Generator has the ability to achieve higher working fluid temperatures than obtainable by combustion of common fuels (Coal, Oil, and Natural Gas). This is a key advantage to the current state-of-the-art. Temperatures of the required magnitude cannot be easily achieved by combustion of the usual fuels. The operating temperature range for MHD is beyond that of any other generating technology. (MHD generator), a power generator in which the energy of the working fluid (a conductive liquid or gaseous medium) moving through a magnetic field is converted directly into electric power. The term magnetohydrodynamic generator is derived from the fact that the motion of such mediums is described by magnetohydrodynamics. The MHD power generation system has high efficiency. This is because the power generation system can work over a high temperature range of 6003000 C.

Nuclear/MHD - MHD Nuclear Reactor Power Plant

Principles Of Operation

Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) (magnetofluiddynamics or hydromagnetics) is the academic discipline which studies the dynamics of electrically conducting fluids. Examples of such fluids include plasmas, liquid metals, and salt water. The word magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) is derived from magneto- meaning magnetic field, and hydro- meaning liquid, and -dynamics meaning movement. The field of MHD was initiated by Hannes Alfvn, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1970.

The idea of MHD is that magnetic fields can induce currents in a moving conductive fluid, which create forces on the fluid, and also change the magnetic field itself. The set of equations which describe MHD are a combination of the NavierStokes equations of fluid dynamics and Maxwell's equations of electromagnetism. These differential equations have to be solved simultaneously, either analytically or numerically. Because MHD is a fluid theory, it cannot treat kinetic phenomena, i.e., those in which the existence of discrete particles, or of a non-thermal distribution of their velocities, is important. When a gas is heated to high temperatures, the valence electrons of the excited atoms move on to higher quantized orbits and ultimately, at certain energy levels they fly off and become free electrons, For a gas to be conducting, a certain number of free electrons must be present along with an equal number of ions and the main body of neutral atoms. The working plasma loses its enthalpy which is converted into electric power in the MHD generator. Since a very high temperature is required to ionize a gas (thermal ionization). The hot gas is seeded with an alkali metal such as cesium or potassium having low ionization potential before the gas enters the MHD duct. MHD Generator - A magnetohydrodynamic generator directly extracts electric power from moving hot gases through a magnetic field, without the use of rotating electromagnetic machinery. MHD generators were originally developed because the output of a plasma MHD generator is a flame, well able to heat the boilers of a steam power plant. The first practical design was the AVCO Mk. 25, developed in 1965. The U.S. government performed substantial development, culminating in a 25Mw demonstration plant in 1987.

The MHD (magnetohydrodynamic) generator or dynamo transforms thermal energy or kinetic energy directly into electricity. MHD generators are different from traditional electric generators in that they can operate at high temperatures without moving parts. MHD was eagerly developed because the exhaust of a plasma MHD generator is a flame, still able to heat the boilers of a steam power plant. So high-temperature MHD was developed as a topping cycle to increase the efficiency of electric generation, especially when burning coal or natural gas. It has also been applied to pump liquid metals and for quiet submarine engines.

The basic concept underlying the mechanical and fluid dynamos is the same. The fluid dynamo, however, uses the motion of fluid or plasma to generate the currents which generate the electrical energy. The mechanical dynamo, in contrast, uses the motion of mechanical devices to accomplish this. The functional difference between an MHD generator and an MHD dynamo is the path the charged particles follow.

Solar MHD Electrical Power Plant

The Lorentz Force Law describes the effects of a charged particle moving in a constant magnetic field. F=Q.(V x B) F is the force acting on the particle, Q is charge of particle, v is velocity of particle, B is magnetic field. The vector F is perpendicular to both v and B according to the Right hand rule.