EXPERIMENTAL PERFORMANCE OF TWO SEGMENTED WALL MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC ELECTRIC POWER GENERATORS
Abstract
A test program was conducted for the University of Tennessee Space Institute on a vertically segmented wall (Hall) and a diagonally segmented wall (45-deg) magnetohydrodynamic generator. The generators were 48 in. in length and had inside dimensions of 2 in. in width, diverging from 4 in. in height at the channel inlet to 6 in. in height at the channel exit. The plasma was provided by a gaseous oxygen/RP-1 combustor with a Mach number 1.6 nozzle. The propellants were seeded with potassium hydroxide dissolved in ethyl alcohol to produce a high ion concentration in the exhaust stream. The generated power was dissipated through a resistor load bank with a variety of parallel and series resistance configurations. Operation conditions varied as follows: combustor chamber pressure = 39 to 48 psia, KOH concentration to 1.3 percent of total propellant weight flow, magnetic field to 20,000 gauss, and load bank resistance from 2.5 to 27 ohms. Tabulations of combustor performance and of the electrical, pressure, and temperature data from the two generator configurations are presented.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1967
- Accession Number
- AD0805710
Entities
People
- M. A. Nelius
- R. J. Leboeuf
Organizations
- University of Tennessee Space Institute