RESEARCH PROGRAMME ON MAGNETOPLASMADYNAMIC POWER GENERATION. PART 1: MPD CLOSED LOOP
Abstract
High temperature commissioning of the closed-cycle helium-cesium MPD loop occupied about twelve months with a total of about 2000 hours of circuit operation, of which 300 hours were at temperatures up to 2500K with unseeded helium. The commissioning phase of the loop development program culminated on 19 March 1964 in cesium-seeded operation and electric power generation. In these initial experiments the loop was operated continuously for fifteen hours with indicated gas temperatures up to 2020K. Twenty series of measurements were made, with varying temperature, cesium content and applied magnetic field, extracting a maximum power output of 0.46 We from a five-electrode-pair constant-area generator. Electrical conductivities of about 0.5 mho/m were obtained at static gas temperatures below 1500K and there are reasons to expect a considerable improvement on this level. The main success is that the loop technology and operation was proved.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 31, 1964
- Accession Number
- AD0602381
Entities
People
- B. C. Lindley