MHD Generators

 INTRODUCTION:

A magnetohydrodynamic generator (MHD generator) is a magnetohydrodynamic

converter that utilizes a Brayton cycle to transform thermal energy and kinetic energy
directly into electricity. MHD generators are different from traditional electric generators
in that they operate without moving parts (e.g. no turbine) to limit the upper temperature.
They therefore have the highest known theoretical thermodynamic efficiency of any
electrical generation method. MHD has been extensively developed as a topping cycle to
increase the efficiency of electric generation especially when burning coal or natural gas.
The hot exhaust gas from an MHD generator can heat the boilers of a steam power plant,
increasing overall efficiency.An MHD generator, like a conventional generator, relies on
moving a conductor through a magnetic field to generate electric current. The MHD
generator uses hot conductive ionized gas (a plasma) as the moving conductor. The
mechanical dynamo, in contrast, uses the motion of mechanical devices to accomplish
this.
Practical MHD generators have been developed for fossil fuels, but these were overtaken
by less expensive combined cycles in which the exhaust of a gas turbine or molten
carbonate fuel cell heats steam to power a steam turbine.MHD dynamos are the
complement of MHD accelerators which have been applied to pump liquid metals
seawater and plasmas.Natural MHD dynamos are an active area of research in plasma
physics and are of great interest to the geophysics and astrophysics communities, since
the magnetic fields of the earth and sun are produced by these natural dynamos.
 PRINCIPLE:
The lowrentz force law describes the effects of a charged particle moving in a
constant magnetic field. The simplest form of this law is given by the vector equation.
where

 F is the force acting on the particle.

 Q is the charge of the particle,
 v is the velocity of the particle, and
 B is the magnetic field.
The vector F is perpendicular to both v and B according to the right hand rule.
 MHD DESIGN:
Plant design is simply a model that explains the pattern of a design
in a laboratory to know how it will be perform in the field.
From practical design, we have two 12m width by 15m length bar
magnet placed opposite each other or highly energize bar magnet
and ionized gas (plasma) is pumped into the medi- um with the
help of a pumper at a very high speed, according to magnetic
theory, magnetic field is experienced around the medium which
when the high speed plasma (ionized collide) with the magnetic
flux, positive charge is pro- duced at the terminal of south pole
while negative charge is produced through the north pole with the
help of electrodes which both positive and negative charge, the
charge pro- duced is measured with an ammeter and I rec- orded
0.1 volt.

large charge can be produce through pro- cessing the size of the magnet;
the nature of the plasma used and the increasing speed flow of the
plasma. The D.C. output of the magnet dynamics can be converted to
A.C. (Alternative Circuit) through the double cycle diode.
So through the plant design we can deduce that above technology can be
obtain in the field after establishing a model and the model performed
well in the laboratory.
 POWER OUTPUT:
The output power is propor- tional to the cross sectional area and the
flow rate of the ionized plasma. The conductive substance is also
cooled and showed in this process. MHD generators typically reduce
the temperature of the conductive substance form plasma temperatures
to just over 1000oC. An MHD generator produces a direct current out-
put which needs an expensive high power in- verter to convert the
output into alternating current for connection to the grid.
 EFFICIENCY:

Typical efficiencies of MHD gener- ators are around 10 to 20

percent mainly due to the heat lost through the high
temperature exhaust.
This limits the MHD’s potential applications as a standalone
device but they were originally designed to be used in
combination with other energy converters in hybrid
application where the output gases (flames) are used as the
en- ergy source to raise steam in a steam turbine plant. Total
 plant efficiencies of 65% could be possible in such
arrangements.
 PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH MHD:
Various problems connected with the development of power plants using open- and
closed-cycle MHD generators are discussed in the light of the results of
investigations carried out at the High Temperature Research Institute. Particular
attention is paid to considerations of the efficiency of power plants with MHD
generators, high temperature heat exchangers, systems for the introduction and
extraction of the ionizing seed, the optimization of the operating conditions for MHD
generators, various processes in MHD generator ducts and the properties of low-
temperature plasma.
 CONCLUSIONS:
Magneto dynamics plasma is abundant, so to assemble magneto
dynamic is not difficult. A power generator from magneto dynamics
can be used to illuminate our home. With the help of big inverter, a
D.C. output can be converted to A.C. output and sent to grid. It is not
hard to build. Magneto dynamics can create employ- ment to energy
engineers. However Magneto dynamics gives D.C. output. Inverter that
can convert D.C. output to A.C. and send to grid is highly expensive.