Generator section of a two-phase flow liquid metal magnetohydrodynamic (LMMHD) generator

A duct for use in a electrical generator section comprising:

• four walls forming the enclosure for the duct;
• an inlet region of the duct;
• an outlet region of the duct;
• and
• a non-linear expansion of the duct from the inlet to the outlet that is created by the distance between at least two of the walls increasing non-linearly from the inlet towards the outlet, the non-linear expansion of the duct being created by two curving walls of the duct each having a circular arc of radius adjacent the inlet of the duct and the distance between the walls increasing towards the outlet of the duct, the arc of the curvature of the walls being selected such that the shape of the curving walls is an arc that extends along only a portion of the duct and the shape of the curving walls from the end of the arc shape to the outlet of the duct is a linearly increasing shape.

A generator section assembly for use in a liquid metal magnetohydrodynamic electricity generator comprising:

• a duct for enclosing a two-phase fluid flow, including a liquid metal and a gas, the duct having an inlet and an outlet;
• a first pair of sidewalls that form two walls of the duct;
• and
• a second pair of sidewalls that form two opposing walls of the duct and are positioned for being in contact with the two-phase flow, each of the second pair of sidewalls having a shape of a circular arc of radius for a portion of their length from the inlet of the duct towards the outlet of the duct and an angled region that extends at a selected angle from the end of the arc region to the outlet of the duct to form a duct having a non-linear expansion region for a portion adjacent the inlet and a linear expansion region for a portion adjacent the outlet.

A generator section assembly for use in a liquid metal magnetohydrodynamic electricity generator comprising:

• a duct for enclosing a two-phase fluid flow, including a liquid metal and a gas, the duct having an inlet and an outlet;
• a pair of sidewalls that form two walls of the duct;
• a pair of electrodes that form two opposing walls of the duct and are positioned for contacting with the two-phase flow, each of the pair of electrodes having a surface region forming a wall of the duct having a shape of a circular arc of radius from the inlet of the duct towards the outlet of the duct to form a duct having a non-linear increase in the distance between the pair of electrodes from the inlet of the duct towards the outlet of the duct, thus providing a non-linear expansion region within the duct as the distance between the pair of electrodes that form a walls of the duct increases non-linearly;
• a magnetic field generating means for creating a magnetic field within the two-phase flow to generate electricity as the two-phase flow passes through the magnetic field within the non-linear expansion region of the duct;
• and
• a nozzle section forward of the generator section, the nozzle section having a decreasing cross-sectional area prior to the end of the duct for increasing the speed of a two-phase flow through the inlet of the duct.