Pulse detonation MHD power
A series of laboratory scale experiments were conducted to investigate the basic engineering performance characteristics of a pulse detonation driven magnetohydrodynamic electric power generator. In these experiments, stoichiometric oxy-acetylene mixtures seeded with a cesium-hydroxide/ methanol spray were detonated at atmospheric pressure in a 1 m long tube having an inside diameter of 2.54 cm. Experiments with a plasma diagnostic channel attached to the end of the tube confirmed the attainment of detonation conditions (p{sub 2}/p{sub 1} {approximately} 34 and D {approximately} 2400 m/s) and enabled the measurement of current density ({approximately} 2 A/cm{sup 2}) and electrical conductivity ({approximately} 6 mho/m) behind the detonation wave front. In a second set of experiments, a 30 cm long continuous electrode Faraday channel having a height of 2.54 cm and a width of 2.0 cm was attached to the end of the tube using an area transition duct. The Faraday channel was placed inside a permanent magnet assembly having a nominal magnetic induction of 0.6 Tesla, and the electrodes were connected to an active loading circuit in order to characterize power extraction dependence on load impedance while also simulating higher effective magnetic induction. In these single-shot experiments, the near-electrode potential drop was found to consume approximately 60% of the effective u x B induced potential. For B = 0.6 Tesla, the authors obtained a peak open circuit voltage of V{sub O}C = Bh {approximately} 10 volts implying an effective burned gas velocity relative to the tube of {approximately} 660 m/s which may be compared with the theoretical equilibrium value for the idealized case (1100 m/s). The experiments indicated peak power extraction at a load impedance between 5 and 10 Ohms. The measured peak electrical energy density ranged from 10 to 10{sup 3} J/m{sup 3} when the effective magnetic induction was varied from 0.6 to 4.2 Tesla. These results were in reasonable agreement with a simple electrodynamic model incorporating a correction for near-electrode potential losses. By scaling-up to a practical size device, limiting the near-electrode potential drop to 10% of the induced potential, and optimizing seed atomization characteristics, they anticipate a five to ten fold increase in attainable electrical energy density.
- Research Organization:
- ERC Inc., Tullahoma, TN (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 20000396
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 33rd Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Colorado Springs, CO (US), 08/02/1998--08/06/1998; Other Information: 1 CD-ROM. Operating system required: Windows 3.x; Windows95/NT; Macintosh; UNIX. All systems need 2X CD-ROM drive., PBD: 1998; Related Information: In: Proceedings of the 33. intersociety energy conversion engineering conference, by Anghaie, S. [ed.], [2800] pages.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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