Method and apparatus for producing electrical power and for the simultaneous heating of fluid, utilizing a magnetohydrodynamic generator

A magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) apparatus for producing electrical power, comprising

• (a) a closed duct system containing a mixture of liquid metal and a low boiling temperature propelling liquid;
• (b) heating means for heating the mixture in said closed system to produce a two-phase liquid metal-vapor flow, the heating temperature being such as to effect substantially isothermal expansion of the vapor bubbles, thereby to accelerate the two-phase flow;
• (c) a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator located along the flow path of the two-phase liquid metal-vapor flow formed by the heated mixture;
• (d) means for condensing the two-phase flow to form a single phase flow of metal liquid containing propelling liquid droplets;
• and
• (e) means for propelling said single-phase flow for reheating by said heating means.

Apparatus for converting solar energy into electricity and for heating a fluid comprising

• (a) a closed system containing a mixture of an electrically conductive liquid and of a low boiling temperature propelling liquid;
• (b) solar energy absorbing means for heating said mixture to form a two-phase flow;
• (c) a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator located along the path of the two-phase flow;
• (d) a condensing and heat-exchanging means for condensing said two-phase flow into a single-phase mixture of the electrically conductive liquid containing droplets of the propelling liquid and for heating a fluid circulating in said heat-exchanger;
• and
• (e) means for propelling said single-phase mixture to be reheated by said solar energy absorbing means.