MHD – Magneto Hydro Dynamic

INDEX

SR. NO. TOPIC PAGE NO.

1 Introduction 2
PRINCIPLE OF MHD POWER
2 3
GENERATION
3 MHD SYSTEM 4
4 OPEN CYCLE MHD SYSTEM 6
HYBRID MHD STEAM PART OPEN
5 8
CYCLE
6 CLOSED CYCLE MHD SYSTEM 9
7 NEED FOR FURTHER RESEARCH 11
ADVANTAGES OF MHD
8 11
GENERATION
9 APPLICATIONS 12
10 CONCLUSION 13
11 REFERENCES 14

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INTRODUCTION

It is well known that man had always been trying to

find something new to achieve a new aims 80% of total
electricity produced in the world is hydras while remaining 20%
is produced from nuclear, thermal, solar, Geothermal energy
and from magneto hydro dynamic power generation.
MHD power generation is a new system of electric
power generation which is said to be of high efficiency and low
pollution. In advanced countries MHD generator are widely used
but in developing countries like India it is still under
construction. This construction work is in progress at
Tiruchirapalli in Tamilnadu under joint efforts of BA RC
(Bhabha Atomic Research Centre) , BHEL, Associated
cement corporation and Russian technologists.
As its name implies, magneto-hydro-dynamic (MHD)
is concerned with the flow of conducting fluid in
presence of magnetic and electric field. This fluid may be gas
at elevated temperature or liquid metal like sodium or potassium.
A MHD generator is a device for converting heat energy of fuel
directly into electric energy without a conventional electric
generator. The basic difference between conventional generator
and MHD generator is in the nature of conductor.

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PRINCIPLE OF MHD POWER GENERATION

The principle of MHD generation is simple, discovered by faraday

when an electric conductor moves across a magnetic field, a emf.
Is induced in it, which produced an electric current. This is the
principle of the conventional generator also, where the
conductors consists of copper strips. In MHD generator the solid
conductors are replaced by a gaseous conductor; i.e. an ionized
gas. If such gas is passed at high velocity through a powerful
magnetic field i.e. suppose we have a charged particle (having
charge q) moving at a high velocity ‘V’ towards right and a
perpendicular magnetic field is applied. A magnetic force ‘F’
acts on the charged particle. Show in fig. A Positively charged
particles as forced upward and negatively charged particle is
forced downward. The positive ions would be accelerated towards
the upper plate P, and negative ions would be accelerated
towards the plate P2. If the P1 and P2 are externally connected
through a resistance, a current would flow through the
resistance. Thus gas energy directly converted into
electrical energy. This is the principle of MHD generator. A MHD
conversion is known as direct energy conversion because it
produced electricity directly from heat source without the
necessity of the additional stage of steam generation as in a
steam power plant.

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MHD SYSTEM
There are two types of MHD System
1.) Open cycle System
2.) Closed cycle System

In open cycle system the working fluid after generating electrical

energy is discharged to the atmosphere through a stack. In a
closed cycle system the working fluid is recycled to the heat
sources and thus used again and again. The operation of MHD
generator directly on combustion products in an open cycle
system. In open cycle system working fluid is air. In closed cycle
system helium or argon is used as the working fluid.

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OPEN CYCLE MHD SYSTEM

An elementary open cycle MHD system is shown in fig. The
MHD generator resembles a rocket engine surrounded by a
magnet the coal is burnt to produce hot gas. The hot gas is then
seeded with a small amount of an ionized alkali metal (cesium or
potassium) to increase the electrical conductivities of gas. The
gas expand through the generator surrounded by powerful
magnet. During the motion of gas the positive and negative ions
move to the electrodes and constitute an electric current. The
rejected gas passes through an air heater for preheating the inlet
air. The seed material is recovered for successive use. The
nitrogen and sulphor are removing for pollution controlled and
then gasses are discharged to the atmosphere. The above cycle is
not suitable for commercial use. The exhaust gases of MHD unit
are still at a sufficiently hot temperature it is possible to use for
additional power generation in a steam turbine alternator unit.
This is increase the efficiency of process. Such cycle is known as
hybrid MHD-steam plant cycle. Figure shows hybrid MHD steam
cycle, coal is processed and burnt in the combustor at high
temperature (2750 to 3000 °K) and pressure (7 to 15 at
atmosphere) with preheated air to form the plasma. The plasma is
then seeded with small fraction (1%) of an alkali metal
(potassium) introduced usually as a carbonate powder or solution.

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HYBRID MHD STEAM PART OPEN CYCLE

The resulting mixture having an electrically conductivity of about
10 ohm/m is expanded through a nozzle to increase its velocity
and then passed through the high magnetic field (5 to 7 teslas) of
the MHD generator. Electrodes channel provided electric contact
between flow and external load. The power o/p is dc and it is
necessary to use to change it to ac before the power can be fed to
an electric grid. The gas coming out of MHD generator is still
sufficiently hot and is used to raise steam, which generates
additional energy in a steam in a steam turbine alternator unit. A
part of this steam is also used in a steam turbine which driver a
compressor for compressing air for the MHD cycle. The seed
material is recovered from the gas the harmful emissions
(sulphur) are also removed from gas before it is discharged to
atmosphere through a stack. For efficient practical realization a
MHD system must have following features:
1) Air superheating arrangement to heat the gas to around 2500
°C so that the
electrical conductivity gas is increased.
2) The combustion chamber must have low heat losses
3) A management to add a low ionization potential seed material
to the gas to
increase, its conductivity.
4) A water cooled but electrically insulating expanding dust with
long life electrodes.
5) A magnet capable of producing high magnetic flux density.

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6) Seed recovery apparatus necessary for both environmental and

economics
reasons.

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CLOSED CYCLE MHD SYSTEM

The closed cycle inert gas MHD system was conceived 1965. The
main disadvantages of the open cycle system is very high MHD
Power Generation temperature requirement and a very chemically
active flow could be removed, by closed cycle MHD system. As
the name suggests the working fluid in closed cycle, is circulated
in a closed loop. The working fluid is helium or argon with cesium
seeding. Figure show a closed cycle MHD system.

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The complete system has three distinct but interlocking loops. On

the left is the external heating loop, coal is gasified and the gas
having a high heat value of about 5.35 MJ/kg and temperature of
about 530°C is burnt in a combustor to produce heat. In the heat
exchanger HX, this heat is transferred to argon the working fluid
of MHD cycle. The combustion products after passing through the
air preheater (to recover a part of the heat of combustion
product) and purifiers (To remove harmful emissions) and
discharged to atmosphere. The loop in the centre is the MHD loop.
The hot argon gas is seeded with cesium and passed through
MHD generator. The dc power output of MHD generator is
converted to A.C. by the inverter and is then feed into the grid.
The loop shown on the right hand side in fig is the steam loop for
further recovering the heat of the working fluid and converting
this heat into electrical energy. The fluid passes through the heat
exchanges HX2 where it imparts its heat to water which gets
converted to steam. This steam is used partly for during a turbine
which runs the compressor partly for turbine driver an alternator.
The output of the alternator is also to the grid. The working fluid
goes back to the heat exchanges HX) after passing through
compressor and intercooler. A closed system can provide more
useful power conversion at lower temperatures (around 1900o K
as compared to 2500o K for open cycle system).

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NEED FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

The commercial use of MHD concept has not been possible
because numerous technological advancements are needed prior
to commercialization of MHD systems. Most of these are related
to material problem created by the simultaneous presence of high
temperature and a highly corrosive and abrasive environment.
The MHD channel operates extreme conditions of temperature,
magnetic and electric fields. Search is on for better insulator and
electrode materials which can with stand the electrical, thermal,
mechanical and thermo-chemical stresses and corrosion.

ADVANTAGES OF MHD GENERATION

MHD generation offers several advantages as compared to other
methods of electric generation.
1) The conversion efficiency of a MHD system can be 50% as
compared to less than 40 percent for the most efficient steam
plants.
2) Large amount of power is generated.
3) It has no moving parts, so more reliable.
4) It has ability to reach the full power level as soon as started.
5) Because of higher efficiency, the overall generation cost of an
MHD plant will be less.
6) The more efficient heat utilization would efficient heat
utilization would

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decreases the amount of heat discharged to environment and the

cooling
water requirements would also be lower.
7) The higher efficiency means better fuel utilization. The reduce
fuel
consumption would offer additional economic and social benefits.
8) The Closed cycle system produces power free of pollution.
Following table show the pollutant emission of an MUD plant and
a
conventional steam plant.
Pollutant emission m tons per day based on use of coal having-3
percent
sulphur contents.

Applications
1.) Power generation in space craft.

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2.) Hypersonic wind tunnel experiments.

3.) Defense application.

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CONCLUSION

With the increased industrial and agricultural activities, power

demand is also highly increased. In the country is sure to fall short
of the energy demand by the first decade of next century. This
means an additional capacity of power is required next 10 year.
The answer to this is in non conventional energy. The MHD power
generation is in advanced stage today and closer to commercial
utilization significant progress has been made in development of
all critical component and sub system technologies coal burning
MHD combined steam power plant promise significant economic
and environmental advantages compared to other coal burning
power generate technologies. It will not be long before the
technological problem of MHD generate are overcome and MHD
power generation transform itself from nonconventional to
conventional energy sources.

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REFERENCES

 Non-Conventional energy source : G.D. Rai

 Electrical Power System : Dr. Inamdar

 Generation Distribution & Utilization of Electrical Energy :

C.L.Wadwa

 www.howstuffworks.com

 www.wikipedia.org

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