The commercialization of magnetohydrodynamic electric power plants

Conference · Fri Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:273338

Weinstein, R E ^[1]; Owens, W R ^[2]

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1. Gilbert/Commonwealth, Inc., Reading, PA (United States)
2. Gilbert/Commonwealth, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD (United States)

The successful development of Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) will provide an ultra clean, highly efficient alternative to other methods of coal-fired electric Power generation. A development path that could bring coal-fired MHD electric power plants to competitive commercial status is described in this paper. The paper discusses the scale-ups, the timing, and technical hurdles that face this technology as it progresses from its present status of small-scale demonstrations and begins its competition for electric utility acceptance. Coal-fired MHD power has at least four major markets: (1) New utility generation. (2) Utility retrofit/repowering applications. (3) New independent power production (IPP). (4) Large industrial cogeneration application. Of these, the largest market for MHD is expected to be the new electric utility/IPP generation market, those new units required to supply growth in power demand and to replace retired capacity. This market sector is the focus of this discussion. This paper describes the commercial pressures and inertias that motivate the entry of any new technology into the generation supply market. It then shows a development path that could bring coal-fired MHD electric power plants to competitive commercial status in the electric power industry.

• OSTI ID: 273338
• Report Number(s): CONF-930626--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
COAL-FIRED MHD GENERATORS
COMMERCIALIZATION
ELECTRIC POWER INDUSTRY
MHD POWER PLANTS