Performance evaluations of MHD generator tests at CDIF

Experimental data from CDIF coal-fired MHD generator test 90-DIAG-3 are analyzed. The results of two independent studies are presented and compared. Both studies impose experimental data upon modeling to derive information on plasma properties and electrical loss mechanisms. The first technique applies routine electrical data to special solutions of the MHD electrical equations to determine gross electrophysical properties and nonuniformity parameters of the generator medium (plasma plus slag) over one pitch control volumes along the length of the MHD channel. The second technique pits a predictive 1D MHD generator model against input experimental Hall voltage data. The generator model solves for the MHD plasmadynamic and electrical processes required to fit the experimental voltage distribution to determine plasma properties with wall and electrical losses. Among the parameters that are estimated by these methods are conductivity, Hall parameter, interelectrode resistances, and the plasma nonuniformity factors (e.g., G). The magnitude of leakage current (slag or otherwise) can also inferred from these analyses. 7 refs.