Magnetohydrodynamic electric generator

A hybrid engine for converting the thermal energy of fuel and/or the thermal energy stored in air into electrical energy with a high thermodynamic efficiency and a high rate of energy conversion, comprising in combination:

• (a) a closed cycle magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) electric generator system comprising, in series, an improved MHD generator and a compressor for feeding a laser gas mixture under pressure at a temperature higher than 1100.degree. C., into the MHD generator via a heat exchanger, said system also comprising a laser gas chamber generator to generate the laser gas mixture and heat the same, means to adjust the concentration of the gas mixture within the closed cycle so that it contains from 88 to 89% N.sub.2, from 8 to 10% CO.sub.2 and less than 4% H.sub.2 O, and a scrubber;
• and
• (b) an open-cycle fuel engine comprising, in series, a combustion chamber through which air and fuel are burnt, the heat-exchanger of the MHD generator system and a heat-engine for operating the compressor of the MHD generator system,
• wherein said MHD generator comprises:
• (a) a S-shaped duct having one end acting as an inlet for the laser gas mixture fed said duct also having three spaced-apart portions that extend across and along a common axis,
• the first one of said portions being close to the inlet and extending across the common axis, said first portion being connected to a gas burner and being devised to define a first laser-generating zone in which the laser gas mixture is made to laser, by burning said first portion being also devised to form a first optical cavity comprising a first pair of opposite mirrors that are aligned with the common axis and adjusted to focus the coherent light that they collect, one of said mirrors of said first pair, VIZ. the one adjacent the second one of said portions, being a partial mirror to allow the coherent light generated and collected in the first zone to be transmitted toward the second one and third one of said portions along the common axis;
• the second one of said portions being located past a divergent nozzle downstream of the first portion and also extending across the common axis, said second portion defining a second laser generating zone in which the laser gas mixture is made to laser by expansion, said second portion being also devised to form a second optical cavity comprising a second pair of opposite mirrors that are aligned with the common axis and adjusted to focus the coherent light that they collect, both of said mirrors of said second pair being partial mirrors to allow the coherent light collected in the first zone to enter the second zone and increase the coherent light collected in said second zone, and then the so-increased coherent light to be transmitted to the third portion of the duct;
• the third one of said portions being aligned with the common axis and oriented to face the first and second portions of said duct, said third portion being devised to form a third, axially elongated optical cavity comprising a third pair of mirrors that are aligned with the common axis and adjusted to focus the coherent light coming from the first and second zones into an axially positioned spot which ionized the gas mixture passing through said third portion and thus converting the same to a plasma, one of said mirrors of said third pair, VIZ. the one adjacent the second portion of the duct being a partial mirror to allow said coherent light to enter into the third portion;
• a plurality of permanent magnets extending along said third portion of the duct, said magnets having positive and negative poles symmetrically positioned with respect to the common axis;
• and
• a plurality of electricity collecting plates extending along said third portion of the duct, said plates being grouped in pairs symmetrically positioned with respect to the common axis so as to be perpendicular to both the gas mixture flowing through the third portion of the duct along the common axis and the magnets, each of said plates being connectable to a load and supporting a winding also connectable to said load,
• whereby, in said third portion of the duct, electricity is generated in a very efficient manner by conventional magnetohydrodynamic action and simultaneously by Faraday effect.