MHD APPLICATIONS FOR SPACE AND GROUND POWER

This paper presents a discussion of the problems associated with the operation of pulsed plasma accelerators, and of the importance of specific impulse and energy conversion efficiency in the selection of a working engine. The accelerators are classified in terms of the manner in which the discharge takes place (direct or indirect) and also by their subsequent physical description (sheet or line). The development of the Plasma Pinch Engine at Republic is presented as an example of an accelerator in the development stages.

The application of MHD to electrical generation for ground and space installation is described briefly with its associated problems (principally concerning materials). Finally a short description is given of the analytical work that has been done at Republic on the application of a magnetic field to a high power thermionic converter to increase its efficiency.