Numerical study of plasma‐fluid behavior and generation characteristics of the closed‐loop MHD electrical power generator

AbstractTime‐dependent r‐z two‐dimensional numerical simulations by the LES technique have been carried out in order to clarify the plasma fluid behavior and power generation characteristics of a disk MHD generator under the rated operating conditions demonstrated in the closed‐loop experimental facility at Tokyo Institute of Technology. The generator currently installed could suffer from nonuniform and low electrical conductivity and from boundary layer separation even under the rated operation conditions. The large amount of generated electric power is consumed in the boundary layer separation region, which reduces the net output power. Reducing the back pressure and improving the inlet plasma conditions reliably provides better generator performance. The influence of a 90° bend downstream duct on the generator performance is found not to be particularly great. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 174(4): 37–44, 2011; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.21041