Thermoacoustic magnetohydrodynamic electrical generator

Patent · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:865918

Wheatley, John C ^[1]; Swift, Gregory W ^[1]; Migliori, Albert ^[2]

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1. Los Alamos, NM
2. Santa Fe, NM

A thermoacoustic magnetohydrodynamic electrical generator includes an intrinsically irreversible thermoacoustic heat engine coupled to a magnetohydrodynamic electrical generator. The heat engine includes an electrically conductive liquid metal as the working fluid and includes two heat exchange and thermoacoustic structure assemblies which drive the liquid in a push-pull arrangement to cause the liquid metal to oscillate at a resonant acoustic frequency on the order of 1,000 Hz. The engine is positioned in the field of a magnet and is oriented such that the liquid metal oscillates in a direction orthogonal to the field of the magnet, whereby an alternating electrical potential is generated in the liquid metal. Low-loss, low-inductance electrical conductors electrically connected to opposite sides of the liquid metal conduct an output signal to a transformer adapted to convert the low-voltage, high-current output signal to a more usable higher voltage, lower current signal.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4599551
• OSTI ID: 865918
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/322/310/
000
acoustic
adapted
alternating
alternating electric
arrangement
assemblies
conduct
conductive
conductive liquid
conductors
connected
convert
coupled
current
current output
current signal
direction
drive
electrical
electrical conductor
electrical conductors
electrical generator
electrical potential
electrically
electrically conductive
electrically connected
engine
engine coupled
exchange
field
fluid
frequency
generated
generator
heat
heat engine
heat exchange
high-current
hz
intrinsically
intrinsically irreversible
irreversible
liquid
liquid metal
low-inductance
low-loss
low-voltage
magnet
magnetohydrodynamic
magnetohydrodynamic electrical
metal
metal conduct
opposite
oriented
orthogonal
oscillate
oscillates
output
output signal
positioned
potential
push-pull
resonant
resonant acoustic
signal
structure
thermoacoustic
thermoacoustic magnetohydrodynamic
transformer
usable
voltage
whereby