High voltage, nonequilibrium MHD disk generators

Electrical power generating systems such as those intended for space applications may incur a severe mass and size penalty due to the necessity of a transformer to increase the voltage of the generating system to the level required for the system user bus. This study shows that a non-equilibrium disk magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) energy converter with a gas cooled nuclear reactor prime mover can be optimized to provide a high voltage output eliminating the need for a mass/size penalizing transformer and to maintain the attractive energy conversion efficiency and high power density features of the MHD power conversion system