Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2009,
May/June 2009, Nov/Dec. 2004, Nov/Dec. 2007)
(2) Discuss Principle of MHD System. (OCT/Nov. 2009, Nov/Dec. 2008,
Nov/Dec.2001, Nov/Dec. 2000)
(3) Explain Open Cycle MHD System.( Nov/Dec. 2008, May/June 2007, Nov/Dec.
2005, May/June 2008, Nov/Dec. 2005)
(4) Explain Seeding in MHD Power generation(Nov/Dec. 2004)
(5) Write merits and demerits of MHD Closed System. (Nov/Dec. 2003, Nov/Dec.
2002, Nov/Dec. 2001, Nov/Dec. 2000)
(2) Explain Open Cycle MHD System.( Nov/Dec. 2008, May/June 2007, Nov/Dec.
2005, May/June 2008, Nov/Dec. 2005)
• The fuel is burnt in presence of hot air in the combustor. The hot gases so
produced are seeded with 1 % alkaline potassium to increase the electrical
conductivity of the gases. These hot gases expand in the nozzle to high velocity
and enter to MHD duct at about 2300 C to 2700 C temperature. Some part of the
internal energy of the gas or plasma is directly converted into DC power.
The DC –AC inverter converts the DC power into AC power.
• Hot gases leaving the MHD duct is used in high temperature air preheater
to heat the air. Then these gases are used in heat exchanger to generate
steam from feed water. The steam so generated is used in a conventional
steam power plant to generate power as shown in fig.2. the remainder of
heat of hot gases is utilized for heating the compressed air in low
temperature air preheater. Hot gases then pass through a seed recovery
unit or ESP (electrostatic Precipitator). The clean hot gases are either
exhausted to the surrounding through chimney as shown in fig or again
recycled by compressing again, it is decided by type of MHD Plant.
(3) Explain Closed Cycle MHD System.( Nov/Dec. 2008, May/June 2007,
Nov/Dec. 2005, May/June 2008, Nov/Dec. 2005)
Closed cycle MHD generators can either operate on seeded inert gas (helium or
argon) system or liquid metal system. These systems are discussed below:
• Fig.3. shows the closed cycle scheme using helium or argon gas seeded
with Cesium MHD generator.
• Inert gas helium seeded with cesium is heated to a very high temperature
in a nuclear reactor. The hot helium gas is passed into nozzles to increase
its velocity before supplying to MHD duct to produce DC Power which is
converted into AC Power by inverter. The gas is passed through a heat
exchanger called steam generator to convert feed water into steam to be
used in the conventional steam power plant as shown in fig.
Closed cycle MHD generators can either operate on seeded inert gas (helium or
argon) system or liquid metal system. These systems are discussed below:
• Fig.3. shows the closed cycle scheme using helium or argon gas seeded
with Cesium MHD generator.
• Inert gas helium seeded with cesium is heated to a very high temperature
in a nuclear reactor. The hot helium gas is passed into nozzles to increase
its velocity before supplying to MHD duct to produce DC Power which is
converted into AC Power by inverter. The gas is passed through a heat
exchanger called steam generator to convert feed water into steam to be
used in the conventional steam power plant as shown in fig.
• The helium gas leaving the steam generator is cooled in the cooler and
after compressing in the compressor is supplied back to the nuclear
reactor.
• In the above system instead of using the conventional steam power plant
as bottoming unit, it can be also employ a gas turbine power plant. The
seeded inert gas MHD System is most promising amongst all system.
• This system can use energy as high temperature is not the requirement of this
system as in case of the plasma converter.
• It can be easily provide ac power supply directly, which it is almost impossible to
do so in a plasma system.
• The size of the system including that of the magnets, while it is almost
comparatively smaller. This is because of high power density.
• The metallic vapors are poor electrical conductors.
• The overall conversion efficiencies obtainable with liquid metal system are quite
below to that of the plasma System.
• One way of increasing the conductivity o gas, without the need of exceedingly
high temperatures, is to introduce into gas a material whose ionization potential
lower than that of the gas atoms themselves. This means that in addition; or
seeding agent, will ionize more readily than the gas itself, and will thus increase
the electrical conductivity.
• Main materials are alkali metals like cesium, potassium etc. the addition of the
seeding material allows the attainment of suitable conductivities at very much
lower temperatures. It is seen that conductivities between 10 and 100 mhos/m can
be achieved in the temperature in the range of 2000 – 2400 C according to the
percentage of seed material added and the gas pressure. These temperatures are
still very high, but materials technology has now advanced sufficiently to make
working at such temperatures at least feasible.