Method and apparatus for producing electrical power and for the simultaneous heating of fluid, utilizing a magnetohydrodynamic generator
First Claim
1. A method for producing electrical power by means of a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator, comprising(a) heating a mixture of liquid metal and a low boiling temperature propelling liquid at a relatively low temperature to form a two-phase liquid metal-vapor flow, the heating temperature being such as to effect substantially isothermal expansion of the vapor bubbles, thereby to accelerate the two-phase flow;
- (b) directing said two-phase metal-vapor flow through an MHD-generator to generate electricity;
(c) condensing the vapor phase from said two-phase liquid metal to form liquid metal carrying propelling liquid droplets; and
(d) recycling and reheating said liquid metal and said propelling liquid droplets to again form the two-phase liquid metal-vapor flow.
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Accused Products
Abstract
There is provided a method and an apparatus for producing electrical powernd for the simultaneous heating of fluid by means of a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator. The method comprises providing a heating means for heating a mixture of liquid metal and an organic liquid to form a two-phase liquid metal-vapor flow, directing the two-phase liquid metal-vapor through a MHD-generator to generate electricity, condensing the vapor phase from the two-phase liquid metal-vapor to form liquid metal carrying organic liquid droplets, and recycling the metal and organic liquid droplets to be reheated by the heating means. The MHD apparatus comprises a closed duct system containing a mixture of liquid metal and an organic liquid, a heating means for heating the mixture in the closed system, a MHD-generator, located along the flow path of a two-phase liquid metal-vapor flow formed by the heated mixture, means for condensing the two-phase flow to form a single phase flow of metal liquid containing organic liquid droplets, and means for propelling the single-phase flow to be reheated by the heating means.
15 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for producing electrical power by means of a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator, comprising
(a) heating a mixture of liquid metal and a low boiling temperature propelling liquid at a relatively low temperature to form a two-phase liquid metal-vapor flow, the heating temperature being such as to effect substantially isothermal expansion of the vapor bubbles, thereby to accelerate the two-phase flow; -
(b) directing said two-phase metal-vapor flow through an MHD-generator to generate electricity; (c) condensing the vapor phase from said two-phase liquid metal to form liquid metal carrying propelling liquid droplets; and (d) recycling and reheating said liquid metal and said propelling liquid droplets to again form the two-phase liquid metal-vapor flow. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) apparatus for producing electrical power, comprising
(a) a closed duct system containing a mixture of liquid metal and a low boiling temperature propelling liquid; -
(b) heating means for heating the mixture in said closed system to produce a two-phase liquid metal-vapor flow, the heating temperature being such as to effect substantially isothermal expansion of the vapor bubbles, thereby to accelerate the two-phase flow; (c) a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator located along the flow path of the two-phase liquid metal-vapor flow formed by the heated mixture; (d) means for condensing the two-phase flow to form a single phase flow of metal liquid containing propelling liquid droplets; and (e) means for propelling said single-phase flow for reheating by said heating means. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. Apparatus for converting solar energy into electricity and for heating a fluid comprising
(a) a closed system containing a mixture of an electrically conductive liquid and of a low boiling temperature propelling liquid; -
(b) solar energy absorbing means for heating said mixture to form a two-phase flow; (c) a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator located along the path of the two-phase flow; (d) a condensing and heat-exchanging means for condensing said two-phase flow into a single-phase mixture of the electrically conductive liquid containing droplets of the propelling liquid and for heating a fluid circulating in said heat-exchanger; and (e) means for propelling said single-phase mixture to be reheated by said solar energy absorbing means.
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Specification