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Electrical Processes in a Flowing Plasma with Cold Electrodes

Abstract

The voltage-current characteristics of a flowing plasma between two electrodes is of interest for MHD power generation because of the high voltage drop necessary to make a current flow through the cool boundary layer of the plasma, lowering the efficiency of the MHD generator when the duct walls are cooled. The V-I characteristics are obtained for a combustion driven shock-tube generated plasma, and the voltage distribution is measured by probes inserted across the plasma. The gas used is argon and the plasma parameters are: T = 9000 Degree-Sign K, p = 130 mmHg, u = 2500 m/sec, n{sub e} = 1.60 x 10{sup 15} cm{sup -3}. The probe technique has allowed experimental confirmation of the high voltage drop obtained in the vicinity of the cathode. A theoretical model has been set up in order to explain the main features of this phenomenon. The model considers the voltage drop along the following regions: the turbulent boundary layer and the viscous sublayer. The structure of the first two regions are taken into account according to the Coles transformation theory. The model considers three fluids, ions, electrons and neutrals: the mass and momentum particle conservation together with the Poisson equation and continuity of  More>>
Authors:
Distefano, E.; Fraidenraich, N. [1] 
  1. Facultad de Ciencias Fisicas y Matematicas, University of Chile, Santiago (Chile)
Publication Date:
Nov 15, 1968
Product Type:
Conference
Report Number:
IAEA-SM-107/13
Resource Relation:
Conference: Symposium on Magnetohydrodynamic Electrical Power Generation, Warsaw (Poland), 24-30 Jul 1968; Other Information: 5 refs., 4 figs.; Related Information: In: Electricity from MHD, 1968. Vol. II. Closed-Cycle MHD with Gaseous Working Fluids. Proceedings of a Symposium on Magnetohydrodynamic Electrical Power Generation| 620 p.
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; ARGON; BOUNDARY LAYERS; CALCULATION METHODS; CATHODES; COMBUSTION; ELECTRIC CURRENTS; ELECTRIC POTENTIAL; ELECTRONS; IONS; MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS; MHD GENERATORS; NUMERICAL ANALYSIS; PAIR PRODUCTION; PLASMA; POISSON EQUATION; POWER GENERATION; SHOCK TUBES; VOLTAGE DROP
OSTI ID:
22184114
Research Organizations:
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)
Country of Origin:
IAEA
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Other: ISSN 0074-1884; TRN: XA13M4304008649
Submitting Site:
INIS
Size:
page(s) 725-732
Announcement Date:
Jan 30, 2014

Citation Formats

Distefano, E., and Fraidenraich, N. Electrical Processes in a Flowing Plasma with Cold Electrodes. IAEA: N. p., 1968. Web.
Distefano, E., & Fraidenraich, N. Electrical Processes in a Flowing Plasma with Cold Electrodes. IAEA.
Distefano, E., and Fraidenraich, N. 1968. "Electrical Processes in a Flowing Plasma with Cold Electrodes." IAEA.
@misc{etde_22184114,
title = {Electrical Processes in a Flowing Plasma with Cold Electrodes}
author = {Distefano, E., and Fraidenraich, N.}
abstractNote = {The voltage-current characteristics of a flowing plasma between two electrodes is of interest for MHD power generation because of the high voltage drop necessary to make a current flow through the cool boundary layer of the plasma, lowering the efficiency of the MHD generator when the duct walls are cooled. The V-I characteristics are obtained for a combustion driven shock-tube generated plasma, and the voltage distribution is measured by probes inserted across the plasma. The gas used is argon and the plasma parameters are: T = 9000 Degree-Sign K, p = 130 mmHg, u = 2500 m/sec, n{sub e} = 1.60 x 10{sup 15} cm{sup -3}. The probe technique has allowed experimental confirmation of the high voltage drop obtained in the vicinity of the cathode. A theoretical model has been set up in order to explain the main features of this phenomenon. The model considers the voltage drop along the following regions: the turbulent boundary layer and the viscous sublayer. The structure of the first two regions are taken into account according to the Coles transformation theory. The model considers three fluids, ions, electrons and neutrals: the mass and momentum particle conservation together with the Poisson equation and continuity of electric current allows us to set up a system of four differential equations with four unknowns. Pair production is taken into account in order to explain the necessary change over from electron current in the main body of the plasma to the predominantly ionic current in the neighbourhood of the cathode wall. Numerical computation of the system of equations has been done and the main features of the experimental results are explained. (author)}
place = {IAEA}
year = {1968}
month = {Nov}
}