Analysis of the magnetohydrodynamic flow of a fissioning gas in a disk MHD generator
The influence of fissioning and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) interaction on the steady, supersonic flow of a compressible, turbulent, weakly ionized, fissioning gas in an outflow disk MHD generator is investigated in this work. The two-dimensional (r,z) MHD flow is modeled using the thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations with MHD and fission power density source terms, and Maxwell's equations under the MHD Approximations and assuming negligible induced magnetic induction. The simple plasma physics models used in this work suggest that the electron number densities (O 10[sup 19]m[sup 3]) and corresponding electrical conductivity levels (O 1 S/m) obtained from fission-fragment induced ionization alone may be insufficient for practical MHD generator operation. The MHD flow equations with the fission power density source term are integrated in boundary-fitted coordinates using the explicit method of MacCormack. The equations of electromagnetics, with variable plasma physics transport properties, are solved using an Alternating-Direction-Implicit (ADI) scheme. A consistent 2-D MHD solution is obtained by iteration between the fluid solver an the electromagnetics solver. The 2-D M solution methodology is used to analyze the influence of duct geometry and fission power density (for neutron flux levels between 0 and 10[sup 17] n/cm[sup 2]s) on the behavior of internal supersonic flows (with total Mach numbers less than 3), and to characterize the effects of variable applied magnetic induction levels and generators load resistances on the spatial profiles of important generator variables. THe predictions of the 2-D MHD solver developed in this work are compared with those of a quasi-one-dimensional Euler solver with MHD an fission source terms; the agreement between the two approaches suggests that the quasi-one-dimensional Euler solver does an excellent job predicting the behavior of supersonic, fissioning, disk MHD flows.
- Research Organization:
- Florida Univ., Gainesville, FL (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 6635414
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph.D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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FISSIONING PLASMA
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MHD GENERATORS
NAVIER-STOKES EQUATIONS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EQUATIONS
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
MECHANICS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PLASMA
SIMULATION
700340* - Plasma Waves
Oscillations
& Instabilities- (1992-)