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Title: Development, testing, and evaluation of MHD materials and component designs. Volume VI. Cooperative effort in the Soviet U-02 materials testing facility. Final report, 15 October 1973-31 December 1975

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6400578· OSTI ID:6400578

The first (Phase I) joint US-USSR test of US electrode materials was carried out in Moscow between September 25 and October 8, 1975 in the Soviet U-02 MHD facility. The test procedure was designed to test five different zirconia based materials and the cathode and anode electrode wall modules under MHD operating conditions. The materials which were selected were 88ZrO/sub 2/-12Y/sub 2/O/sub 3/, 82ZrO/sub 2/-18CeO/sub 2/, 50ZrO/sub 2/-50CeO/sub 2/, 25ZrO/sub 2/-75CeO/sub 2/ and 20ZrO/sub 2/-78CeO/sub 2/-2Ta/sub 2/O/sub 5/. Each of the five electrode materials had four different current densities established between the anode and cathode during the experiment which lasted a total of 127 hours; 100 hours under MHD power operational conditions. There were also extensive tests made on the modules before their shipment to the USSR and after their installation into the U-02 channel but before the start of the 1st phase. All except six electrode pairs performed satisfactorily during the entire test. These were the pairs which were designated to carry maximum or near maximum current density. Five pairs failed early in the life test and the sixth pair failed in the last several hours. Failure was not due to the electrode materials, however, but due to lead-out melting caused by joule heating in the platinum wires. The U-02 facility is fully described and the operational parameters are given for each phase of the test. The electrode and insulating walls are described and the appropriate parameters that are used to predict the performance of the module are given. (WHK)

Research Organization:
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (United States). Research and Development Center
DOE Contract Number:
AC01-76ET10805
OSTI ID:
6400578
Report Number(s):
DOE/ET/10805-T1(Vol.6); FE-1540-29(Vol.6); ON: DE81026198
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English