Plasma jet electrode for magnetohydrodynamic generators
AssigneeReynolds Metals Company
InventorMilton T. Dooley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An anode assembly of an MHD generator has an opening in communication with the generator's main plasma stream. An inert gas is passed between the anode assembly's emitter and a positively biased collector which is in circuit with a load and a cathode emitter on the other side of the main plasma stream. A supplemental magnetic field rotates an arc about a collector nozzle in an insulated wall, while a magnetic-field shield protects the assembly from the MHD generator's main flux. The system is operated by ionizing a gas that is passed between the anode's emitter and its positively biased collector to form a plasma jet which is used as an electrode to conduct current across the main plasma stream between the cathode and the collector of the anode assembly.
Claims26
An MHD system having an anode assembly, a cathode assembly, duct means for passing a plasma stream therebetween, means for passing a magnetic flux across said duct means, and circuit means connecting said anode and cathode assembly, said system further comprising:
- a collector of said anode assembly connected to said circuit means and having an opening therethrough for communication with said duct means;
- an emitter of said anode assembly located adjacent said collector;
- means to pass an ionizable gas between said collector and emitter;
- and
- means for maintaining said collector positive relative to said emitter.
An MHD system having an anode assembly, a cathode assembly, duct means for passing a plasma stream therebetween, means for passing a magnetic flux across said duct means, and circuit means connecting said anode and cathode assemblies, said system further comprising:
- a collector of said anode assembly connected to said circuit means and having an opening therethrough for communication with said duct means;
- an emitter of said anode assembly adjacent said anode collector;
- means for positively biasing said anode collector relative to said anode emitter;
- a collector of said cathode assembly having an opening therethrough for communication with said duct means;
- an emitter of said cathode assembly adjacent said cathode collector and connected to said anode collector through said circuit means;
- and
- means for passing an ionizable gas between each collector and the corresponding emitter.
A method of operating an MHD system of the type including a cathode assembly and an anode assembly having an emitter member and a collector member, duct means for passing a main plasma stream between said anode assembly and said cathode assembly, means for passing a main magnetic flux across said duct means, and circuit means connecting said anode and cathode assemblies, said method comprising the steps of:
- maintaining the collector of said anode assembly positive relative to the emitter of said anode assembly;
- passing a gas between the emitter and collector of said anode assembly and ionizing said gas to form a plasma jet;
- and
- using said plasma jet as an electrode to conduct current across said main plasma stream between said cathode to said collector of said anode assembly.
A method of operating an MHD system of the type including a cathode assembly and an anode assembly each having an emitter and a collector, duct means for passing a plasma stream between said cathode assembly and said anode assembly, means for passing a main magnetic flux across said duct means and circuit means for connecting said anode and cathode assemblies, said method comprising the steps of:
- positively biasing the collector member of said anode assembly relative to the emitter member of said anode assembly;
- passing a gas between the emitters and collectors of said anode and cathode assemblies and ionizing said gas to form a cathode plasma jet electrode and an anode plasma jet electrode;
- and
- using said plasma jet electrodes to conduct current across said main plasma stream between the cathode and said collector of said anode assembly while at the same time maintaining said circuit means between the emitter of said cathode assembly and the collector of said anode assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.