Plasma stabilization and improvement in the performance of a nonequilibrium disk MHD generator by a radio-frequency electromagnetic field

Journal Article · Thu Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1999 · IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/27.772292· OSTI ID:6183739

Murakami, Tomoyuki; Okuno, Yoshihiro; Kabashima, Shigeharu ^[1]

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1. Tokyo Inst. of Tech., Yokohama (Japan). Dept. of Energy Sciences

By applying a radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic field, the feasibility of improvement in the performance of a nonequilibrium disk-shaped magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator suffering from water vapor contamination in the working gas is investigated with r-[theta] two-dimensional numerical simulations. Attention is paid to the relation between the behavior of MHD plasma in the presence of the RF electric field and the generator performance. The water contamination causes the strongly nonuniform and unsteady plasma, and deteriorates its performance. The fluctuations of the electron temperature and of the ionization degree of seed atoms are found to be suppressed by applying the RF electric field. As a result, the enthalpy extraction ratio and the isentropic efficiency of the generator improve. The ratio of the required additional joule heating by the RF electric field to the thermal input to the generator for the stabilization of the plasma and the improvement in the performance is estimated to be about 0.9%.

• OSTI ID: 6183739
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, Journal Name: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science Vol. 27:2; ISSN ITPSBD; ISSN 0093-3813
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
300100* -- Direct Energy Conversion-- MHD Generators
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
DISK MHD GENERATORS
ELECTRIC HEATING
ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
FLUIDS
GASES
HEATING
JOULE HEATING
MHD GENERATORS
NON-EQUILIBRIUM PLASMA
PERFORMANCE
PLASMA
PLASMA HEATING
PLASMA SEEDING
STABILIZATION
VAPORS
WATER VAPOR