Nonequilibrium plasma generator (NPG) project - experimental program

This paper summarizes research conducted under a DOE MHD SBIR entitled: {open_quotes}A Light Metal Fueled Non-equilibrium Plasma Generator (NPG){close_quotes}. It is a summary paper presenting the idea of the NPG and activities of the NPG SBIR research program along with experimental results from NPG Proof-of-Principle tests. The NPG is an innovative concept for a combustion device that can produce a nonequilibrium plasma. This device bums powdered metal fuel, and it can be used to drive an MHD disk generator pulse power unit or a similar nonequilibrium MHD device or system. The NPG research program was concluded over the past two years under sponsorship of a DOE Phase II SBIR grant. This program focused on addressing fundamental and practical aspects of the NPG concept and its system design. The research included investigation of the physics of the NPG concept through theoretical and experimental studies on the quality of the plasma that it can produce, theoretical evaluations of the nonequilibrium ionization processes in an MHD disk generator driven by an NPG, and experimental validation of the NPG concept in Proof-of-Principle tests. At the conclusion of this research it was determined that the NPG is indeed a viable concept. Results from combustion testsmore » using powdered aluminum fuel reveal that the NPG can produce an extremely hot argon plasma clean enough to support nonequilibrium ionization in an MHD device.« less