Performance experiments with a shock-tunnel-driven argon-cesium MHD disk generator

Abstract

An extensive amount of data has been collected concerning MHD disk generator performance under different operation conditions. The results are obtained from a large number of runs with the Eindhoven shock tunnel facility. The runs are carried out at different stagnation temperatures, stagnation pressures, external loads, and seed fractions. Two channels have been used, one with and one without inlet swirl. Voltage, pressure, and radiation measurements have been employed. Current to voltage characteristics have been measured for different seed ratios. The enthalpy extractions of the disk with inlet swirl are found to be comparable with similar experiments with linear channels. The enthalpy extractions of the radial disk are found to be lower. A high enthalpy extraction (18 percent at a stagnation temperature of 2100 K) is reported at a comparatively low stagnation pressure (4.2 bar). A one-dimensional-gasdynamical analysis using measured voltages as an input is discussed. The measured fluctuations of electron temperature and density indicate that the results are obtained in a nonuniform plasma. 10 references.