1. MHD Generator
Introduction
Plasma engines recently have started to become
far more widely used in the space industry for
boosting satellites into their desired orbits, this
however requires large amounts of power.
This project will explore the feasibility of using an
MHD generator to power plasma engines in low
earth orbit.
Ben Bingham
6083611
SpaceTechnology and
Planetary Exploration MSc
Supervisor : Dr A Knoll
Linear MHD Generator
• Two magnets that have a pulling force of
23kg each to a total of 46kg.
• Anode and cathode situated along the edges
of the cylinder.
• More traditional MHD generator than the
Ring design, similar to a faraday MHD
generator.
• Generally used in a much higher pressure
environment so results may be unexpected.
Testing
• Attached to a plasma engine inside a vacuum
chamber.
• Gain experimental data by both varying the
current and voltage of the plasma engine, and
varying the load resistance of the MHD
generator.
• Evaluate which design is more suited to this
low pressure plasma environment and if either
of them produce reasonable amounts of
power.
Objectives
The objectives of this project are to:
• Design two variants of the MHD generator
• Manufacture both variants of the MHD
generator
• Test both MHD generators with a plasma
engine in a vacuum environment
• Evaluate the feasibility and efficiency of each
generator
MHD Generator
• The main cylinder is made out of two parts, a
quartz inner cylinder for protection from heat,
and hard 3D printed plastic .
• The magnets are nickel coated neodymium.
• Copper strips to take advantage of the voltage
difference that will be created by the plasma
exhaust interacting with the magnetic field.
• Inner cylinder length and diameter, copper
surface area, and combined magnet strength
are kept as similar as possible in both designs
to assist in comparisons of their capabilities.
• The inner cylinder has a large enough diameter
to allow a large possibility of plasma engine
fitting sizes.
Figure 1 – CAD Model of Linear MHD Generator
Figure 2 – CAD Model of Ring MHD Generator
Ring MHD Generator
• Three magnets have a pulling force of 16kg
each to a total of 48kg.
• Magnets opposing each other and held by the
plastic tube and two bolts through the
cylinder.
• Anode and cathode situated at the open ends
of the cylinder.
• An untested design so results are going to be
unpredictable.