A Seminar Report on

MAGNETO HYDRO DYNAMIC POWER

GENERATION
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
in
ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING
By

CH. SURI PRASAD 19P35A0248

Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering

ADITYA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
(Affiliated to JNTUK, Approved by AICTE, New Delhi) Aditya Nagar,
ADB road, Surampalem, ADB road, East Godavari District, A.P, India
2018-2022
 ABSTRACT
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.
 LIST OF CONTENTS
CONTENTS PAGE NO
1. INTRODUCTION 1
2. WORKING PRINCIPLE OF MHD POWER GENERATION 2
2.1. MHD SYSTEM
2.2. THE PLASMA
2.3. FARADAY CURRENT
2.4. THE HALL EFFECT CURRENT
2.5. POWER OUTPUT
2.6. EFFICIENCY
3. MAGNETO HYDRO DYNAMIC SYSTEMS 5
3.1. OPEN MHD SYSTEM
3.2. CLOSED MHD SYSTEM
3.2.1. SEEDED INERT GAS SYSTEM
3.2.2. LIQUID METAL SYSTEM
4. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES 9

5. CONCLUSION 10
BIBLIOGRAPHY
 CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

Magneto hydro dynamic power generator, any of a class of devices that generate electric
power by means of the interaction of a moving fluid (usually an ionized gas or plasma) and
a magnetic field. Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) power plants offer the potential for large-scale
electrical power generation with reduced impact on the environment. Since 1970, several
countries have undertaken MHD research programs with a particular emphasis on the use
of coal as a fuel. MHD generators are also attractive for the production of large electrical power
pulses.

The principle of MHD power generation is elegantly simple. Typically, an electrically

conducting gas is produced at high pressure by combustion of a fossil fuel. The gas is then
directed through a magnetic field, resulting in an electromotive force within it in accordance
with Faraday’s law of induction (named for the 19th-century English physicist and
chemist Michael Faraday). The MHD system constitutes a heat engine, involving an expansion
of the gas from high to low pressure in a manner similar to that employed in a conventional gas
turbogenerator. In the turbogenerator, the gas interacts with blade surfaces to drive
the turbine and the attached electric generator. In the MHD system, the kinetic energy of the gas
is converted directly to electric energy as it is allowed to expand.

The magnetohydrodynamic power generator or the magnetohydrodynamic converter acts

as a fluid dynamo in which the flow (motion) of the conducting fluid (conductor) under a
magnetic field causes a voltage to be generated across the fluid, perpendicular to both the
magnetic field and the fluid flow and according to Fleming's Right Hand Rule. In 1832, the
concept of MHD power generation technique was first time practically studied by Michael
Faraday during his lecture delivered to the Royal Society. Since then MHD power generation
technique has been studied and explored by a number of research groups.

1
 CHAPTER 2

WORKING PRINCIPLE OF MHD POWER GENERATION

The MHD generator can be considered to be a fluid dynamo. This is similar to a

mechanical dynamo in which the motion of a metal conductor through a magnetic field
creates a current in the conductor except that in the MHD generator the metal conductor is
replaced by conducting gas plasma.
When a conductor moves through a magnetic field it creates an electrical field
perpendicular to the magnetic field and the direction of movement of the conductor. This is
the principle, discovered by Michael Faraday, behind the conventional rotary electricity
generator. Dutch physicist Antoon Lorentz provided the mathematical theory to quantify its
effects.

The flow (motion) of the conducting plasma through a magnetic field causes a voltage to
be generated (and an associated current to flow) across the plasma , perpendicular to both the
plasma flow and the magnetic field according to Fleming's Right Hand Rule.
Lorentz Law describing the effects of a charged particle moving in a constant magnetic
field can be stated as

2
 F = QvB
where
F is the force acting on the charged particle
Q is charge of particle
v is velocity of particle
B is magnetic field.

2.1. MHD SYSTEM

The MHD generator needs a high temperature gas source, which could be the coolant
from a nuclear reactor or more likely high temperature combustion gases generated by
burning fossil fuels, including coal, in a combustion chamber. The diagram below shows
possible system components.

The expansion nozzle reduces the gas pressure and consequently increases the plasma
speed (Bernoulli's Law) through the generator duct to increase the power output (See Power
below). Unfortunately, at the same time, the pressure drop causes the plasma temperature to
fall (Gay-Lussac's) must be found.

2.2. THE PLASMA

The prime system requirement is creating and managing the conducting gas plasma
since the system depends on the plasma having a high electrical conductivity. Suitable
working fluids are gases derived from combustion, noble gases, and alkali metal vapours.

3
2.3. FARADAY CURRENT
A powerful electromagnet provides the magnetic field through which the plasma flows,
and perpendicular to this field are installed the two electrodes on opposite sides of the plasma
across which the electrical output voltage is generated. The current flowing across the
plasma between these electrodes is called the Faraday current. This provides the main
electrical output of the MHD generator.

2.4. THE HALL EFFECT CURRENT

The very high Faraday output current which flows across the plasma duct into the load
itself reacts with the applied magnetic field creating a Hall Effect current perpendicular to
the Faraday current, in other words, a current along the axis of the plasma, resulting in lost
energy. The total current generated will be the vector sum of the transverse (Faraday) and
axial (Hall effect) current components. Unless it can be captured in some way, the Hall effect
current will constitute an energy loss. components of the current in order to improve the
overall MHD conversion efficiency.
One such method is to split the electrode pair into a series of segments physically side
by side (parallel) but insulated from each other, with the segmented electrode pairs
connected in series to achieve a higher voltage but with a lower current. Instead of the
electrodes being directly opposite each other, perpendicular to the plasma stream, they are
skewed at a slight angle from perpendicular to be in line with the vector sum of the Faraday
and Hall effect currents, as shown in the diagram below, thus allowing the maximum energy
to be extracted from the plasma.

2.5. POWER OUTPUT

The output power is proportional to the cross-sectional area and the flow rate of the
ionised plasma. The conductive substance is also cooled and slowed in this process. MHD
generators typically reduce the temperature of the conductive substance from plasma
temperatures to just over 1000 °C.

2.6. EFFICIENCY
Typical efficiencies of MHD generators 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 stand alone device but they were originally designed to be used in combination with
other energy converters in hybrid applications where the output gases (flames) are possible in
such arrangements.

4
 CHAPTER 3
MAGNETO HYDRO DYNAMIC SYSTEMS

3.1. OPEN CYCLE MHD SYSTEM

In this system, fuel used maybe oil through an oil tank or gasified coal through a coal
gasification plant. The fuel (coal, oil or natural gas) is burnt in the combustor or combustion
chamber. The hot gases from combustor is then seeded with a small amount of an ionized
alkali metal (cesium or potassium), to increase the electrical conductivity of the gas. The
seed material, generally potassium carbonate, is injected into the combustion chamber, the
potassium is then ionized by the hot combustion gases at temperatures of roughly (2300 to
2700°C). To attain such high temperatures, the compressed air used to burn the coal (or other
fuel) in the combustion chamber, must be preheated to at least 1100'C. A lower preheat
temperature would be adequate if the air were enriched in oxygen. An alternative is to use
compressed oxygen alone for combustion of the fuel, little or no pre heating is then required.
The additional cost of the oxygen might be balanced by the savings on the pre heater. The
hot, pressurized working fluid leaving the combustor flows through a convergent-divergent
nozzle similar to a rocket nozzle.' In passing through the nozzle, the random motion energy
of the molecules in the hot gas is largely converted into directed, mass motion energy. Thus,
the gas emerges from the nozzle and enters the MHD generator unit at a high velocity.
The MHD generator is a divergent channel (or duct) made of a heat-resistant alloy (e.g.
Inconel) with external water cooling. The hot gas expands through the rocket like generator
surrounded hy powerful magnet. During the motion of the gas the positive and negative ions
move to the electrodes and constitute an electric current. The magnetic field direction, which
is at right angles to the fluid flow, would be perpendicular to the plane of paper. A number of
oppositely located electrode pairs are inserted in the channel to conduct the electric current
generated to an external load. The electrodes pair may be connected in various ways (see
below) one of which is shown in. An MHD generator, unlike a conventional generator,
produced direct current, this can be converted into commonly used alternating current by
means of an inverter. The arrangement of the electrode connections is determined by the
need to reduce losses arising from the Hall effect. By this effect, the magnetic field acts on
the MHD—generated (Faraday) current and produces a voltage in t h e flow direction of the
working fluid rather t h an at right angles to it. The resulting current in an external load is
then called the Hall current. Various electrode connection schemes have been proposed to
utilize the Faraday current while minimizing the Hall current. However, if nitrogen (from air)
is present, the nitrogen oxide content of the combustion gases will be high because of the
required high temperature of the working fluid. Consequently, a controlled combustion
procedure is used to reduce the nitrogen oxide level in the discharge flue gas. The air

5
supplied to the combustion chamber is not sufficient to permit complete fuel burning,
combustion of the unburned fuel gases is then completed by introducing additional air at a
later stage, beyond the MHD generator- The lower combustion temperature is accompanied
by a decrease in the nitrogen oxide concentration.

For efficient practical realization an MHD system must have the following features:

1- Air super heating arrangement to heat the gas to around 2500°C, (the inlet temperature of
MHD is about 2500"C), so that the electrical conductivity of the gas is increased.

2. The combustion chamber must have low heat losses.

3. Arrangement to add a low ionization potential seed material to the gas to increase its
conductivity.

4. A water cooled but electrically insulating expanding duct with long life electrodes.

5. Seed recovery apparatus—necessary for both environmental and economic reasons.

3.2 CLOSED CYCLE MHD SYSTEM

6
 Two general types of closed cycle MHD generators are being investigated. In one type,
electrical conductivity is maintained in the working fluid by ionization of a seed material, as
in open-cycle systems and in the other, a liquid metal provides the [Link] carrier is
usually a chemical inert gas, although a liquid carrier has been used with a liquid metal
conductor. The working fluid is circulated in a closed loop and is heated by the combustion
gases using a heat [Link], the heat source and the working fluid are independent.
The working fluid is helium or argon with cesium seeding.

3.2.1. SEEDED INERT GAS SYSTEM

In a closed cycle system the carrier gas (argon/helium) operates in a form of Bray ton
cycle. The gas is compressed and heat is supplied by the source, at essentially constant
pressure; the compressed gas then expands in the MHD generator and its pressure and
temperature fall. After leaving the generator, heat is removed from the gas by a cooler, this is
the heat rejection stage of the cycle. Finally the gas is recompressed and returned for
reheating.
A closed cycle MHD system is shown in Fig. 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 the MHD cycle. The combustion products after passing through the air
preheated (to recover a part of t he heat of combustion products) and purifier (to remove
harmful emissions) are discharged to atmosphere. Because the combustion system is separate
from the working fluid, so also are the ash and flue gases. Hence, the problem of extracting
the seed material from flyash does not arise. The flue gases are used to preheat the incoming
combustion air and then treated for fly ash and sulphur-dioxide removal, if necessary, prior
to discharge through a stack to the atmosphere. The loop in the centre is the MHD loop.
The hot argon gas is seeded with cesium and resulting working fluid is passed through
the MHD generator at high speeds. The d.c. power out of MHD generator is converted to
A.C. by the inverter and is then fed into the grid. The loop shown on the right hand side in
figure is the steam loop for further recovery of the heat of working fluid and converting this
heat into electrical energy in the diffuser the working fluid is slowed down to a low subsonic
speed. Then hot fluid enters a secondary heat exchanger, which serves as a waste heat boiler
to generate steam. This steam is partly utilized to drive a turbine generator and for driving a
turbine which runs the argon (or helium) compressor.
The output of the generator is also fed to the main grid. The working fluid is returned
back to primary heat exchanger after passing through compressor and inter cooler. A closed
cycle system can provide more useful power conversion at lower temperature (around
1900°K as compared to 2500° K for open cycle system). The somewhat lower operating
temperatures of a closed cycle, MHD converter than of an open cycle system have an
advantage in permitting a wider choice of materials. On the other hand, the lower
temperature of the working fluid also means a lower thermal efficiency. Furthermore
temperatures in the combustion chamber are still high, and special construction materials are

7
required for the primary heat exchanger. Moreover the working fluid must be kept absolutely
pure.
The electrical stability of the flow in the generator poses problems because the gas is
subjected to electrical fields approaching breakdown conditions. The closed cycle MHD
using rare gases as working fluid is developed and it is the most promising system among all.
Generally, the heat source used is gas cooled nuclear reactor.

3.2.2. LIQUID METAL SYSTEM

A variation of the usual MHD generator employs a liquid metal as its
electrically conducting medium. Liquid metal is an attractive option because of its
high electrical conductivity, but it cannot serve directly as a thermodynamic
working fluid. The liquid has to be combined with a driving gas or vapour to
create a two-phase flow in the generator duct, or it has to be accelerated by a
thermodynamic pump (often described as an ejector) and then separated from the
driving gas or vapour before it passes through the duct. While such liquid metal
MHD systems offer attractive features from the viewpoint of
electrical machine operation, they are limited in temperature by the properties of
liquid metals to about 1,250 K (about 975 °C, or 1,800 °F). Thus, they compete
with various existing energy-conversion systems capable of operating in the same
temperature range.

8
 CHAPTER 4
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF MHD POWER
GENERATION

A. ADVANTAGES
 The conversion efficiency of an MHD system can be around 50 per cent as compared to
less than 40 per cent for the most efficient steam plants. Still higher thermal efficiencies
(6065%) are expected in future, with the improvements in experience and technology.
 Large amount of power is generated.
 It has no moving parts, BO more reliable.
 The closed cycle system produces power free of pollution.
 It has ability to reach the full power level as soon as started.
 The size of the plant (m2/kW) is considerably smaller than conventional fossil fuel
plants.
 It has been estimated that the overall operational, costs in an MHD plant would be about
20% less than in conventional steam plants.
 Direct conversion of heat into electricity permits to eliminate the gas turbine (compared
with a gas turbine power plant) or both the boiler and the turbine (compared with a steam
power plant). This elimination reduces losses of energy.
 These systems permit better fuel utilization. The reduced fuel consumption would offer
additional economic and special benefits and would also lead to conservation of energy
resources.

B. DISADVANTAGES

 Numerous technological advancement requires prior to its commercialisation.

 It requires highly corrosive and abrasive environment.
 MHD channels operates under extream condition of temperature.

9
 CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSION
All the conventional thermal and hydro power plants are associated with immense
losses due to thermo mechanical and hydro mechanical operating systems. This causes
various efficiency losses i.e., mechanical breakage, thermal leakage, frictional losses. The
MHD power generation is in advanced stage today and closer to commercial utilization.
Significant progress has been made in development of all critical components and sub
system technologies. Coal burning MHD combined steam power plant promises
significant economic and environmental advantages compared to other coal burning power
generation technologies. It will not be long before the technological problem of MHD
systems will be overcome and MHD system would transform itself from non-
conventional to conventional energy sources. The conventional conversion systems have
significant losses (thermodynamics conversion) and these traditional systems are also
failed to fulfill the needs of energy of the modern world. So, the performance from the
point of efficiency and reliability is limited which can be improved by the combined
operation with MHD generators. MHD generator has no moving part which allows
working at higher temperature i.e., around 3000°C without any mechanical losses. In near
future, MHD power generation system can improve the efficiency of other conventional
systems

10
11