Explosively driven electric power generation system

An explosive driver transfers the stored chemical energy of an explosive to a dynamic flow stream of a gas for generating electrical power in a magnetohydrodynamic generator. The explosive is in the form of an elongated core disposed within a container and spaced from the inner surfaces of the container. A sealing strip is positioned on the outside surface of the explosive core, and the space between the core and the inside surface of the container is filled with the gas. Detonation along the length of the core expands the sealing strip progressively outwardly and impacts it into sealing engagement with the related inside surface of the container. This compresses the gas and forms a shock wave which fully ionizes the gas to an electrically conductive state. The gas flow stream is further processed by a settling chamber and a nozzle before being directed through the magnetohydrodynamic generator to convert the gas flow to electrical energy.