PERFORMANCE OF A SELF-EXCITED MHD GENERATOR

A rocket-driven self-excited MHD generator designed for a net power output of 20,000 kilowatts was successfully operated. The generator was designed to demonstrate the feasibility of using an MHD device to provide power for limited duration at very high levels with relatively simple equipment. The paper is a general description of the generator and the experimental results of a testing program performed to study the characteristics of self-excitation and the combined operation of self-excitation and power output. Presented at the International Conference on Energetics, University of Rochester, N. Y. 18-20 Aug 1965.