Front:
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS (MHD)
LOAD
HOT GAS STREAM
MAGNET
ELECTRICITY CAN
BE PRODUCED
IN AN MHD
GENERATOR
BY SHOOTING
A STREAM OF
VERY HOT
GAS THROUGH
A MAGNETIC
FIELD AT
THREE TIMES
THE SPEED
OF SOUND.
Back:
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
Researchers are always seeking new and more efficient ways to generate
electricity. One promising method is magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). For-
tunately, the principle of MHD is simpler than its full name.
In a conventional electric generator a conductor is moved through a
magnetic field to produce current. In an MHD generator the moving metal
conductor is replaced by a jet of very hot and very fast-moving electrically
conductive gas. By placing electrodes in this hot gas steam, electricity can
be obtained at relatively high voltages.
While this idea is not new, it has only recently been made more promising
through research and the development of materials capable of withstanding
the high temperatures involved.
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ELECTRIC POWER & LIGHT EXHIBIT, INC.
