Gaseous electrode development. Final report

Technical Report · Sat Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5301005· OSTI ID:5301005

Jones, Jr., M. S.; Scannell, E. P.; Sathyanarayana, K.; Thiagarajan, V.; Mallavarpu, R.; Armstrong, A. J.

The purpose of the present study is to optimize the gaseous electrode for use in an MHD generator and to test this optimum configuration in an operating MHD channel. The arc gaseous electrode concept is based on the use of an arc source in the body of the MHD channel electrode, wherein the arc follows a helical path and generates a plasma which flows out of a long, thin slot cut parallel to the cylindrical annulus, to provide a low impedance path for the MHD current through the boundary layer so that electrode erosion due to arcing can be reduced. Bench-scale tests on the arc plasma source were conducted. The effect of the parameters such as magnetic field, yaw angle with respect to the magnetic field, electrode geometry, and arc cathode materials were studied. Based on these studies, an optimum design was selected for testing in the MHD channel. Tests were conducted with the arc gaseous electrode in the cathode wall of a diagonal conducting wall MHD generator at magnetic fields up to 3.83 Tesla, with a supersonic flow of combustion products seeded with 1.0 w/o of potassium. The measured MHD plasma conductivity varied between 12 and 22 S/m. Results are presented and discussed in detail. (WHK)

• Research Organization: Reynolds Metals Co., Sheffield, AL (USA). Energy Conversion Div.
• DOE Contract Number: EX-76-C-01-2476
• OSTI ID: 5301005
• Report Number(s): FE-2476-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
300103* -- MHD Generators-- Materials
Components
& Auxiliaries
300104 -- MHD Generators-- Duct Engineering & Fluid Dynamics
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
BOUNDARY LAYERS
CURRENTS
DESIGN
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRIC ARCS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTRODES
FLOW MODELS
FLUID FLOW
LAYERS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MHD GENERATORS
OPTIMIZATION
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLASMA
PRESSURE GRADIENTS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SUPERSONIC FLOW
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
TEST FACILITIES
TESTING
VELOCITY