Yamato 1 • Caterpillar drive |
Magnetohydrodynamics
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Magnetohydrodynamics Simple Equations |
A computer actuated relay clicks in the small control room at Israel’s Ben Gurion University of the Negev. Nearby, a two story high power generator starts up.
But there’s a strange silence. There’s no whine from high speed turbine blades, no hum from copper generator coils whirring in a magnetic field, no hiss of pressurized, superhot steam. That’s because
Electropaedia writes: "Magnetohydrodynamic power generation provides a way of generating electricity directly from a fast moving stream of ionised gases without the need for any moving mechanical parts - no turbines and no rotary generators. Several MHD projects were initiated in the 1960s but overcoming the technical challenges of making a practical system proved very expensive. Interest consequently waned in favour of nuclear power which since that time has seemed a more attractive option." 4
In place of a propeller or paddle wheel, [the
Yamato II |
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The boat, 30m/100ft long, was designed to travel at 8 knots. – Brock Hampton, Dictionary of Science (London: Brockhampton, 1994), p. 356. |
1 Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), Dictionary of Scientific Literacy, Richard P. Brennan (New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1992), p. 195.
2 Dennis Normile and Robert Langreth, Superconductivity goes to sea, Popular Science, Nov 1992.
3 John Free, Now: liquid-metal MHD; magnetohydrodynamic power, Popular Science, July 1985.
4 Electropaedia, "Battery and Energy Technologies: Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Power Generation," at http://www.mpoweruk.com/mhd_generator.htm (retrieved: 1 June 2014).
5 Normile and Langreth, Superconductivity.
The Magneto Hydrodynamic Explosive Munition (MAHEM) program offers the potential for higher efficiency, greater control, and the ability to generate and accurately time multiple jets and fragments from a single charge. | |
A little frog (alive !) and a water ball levitate inside a Ø32mm vertical bore of a Bitter solenoid in a magnetic field of about 16 Tesla at the Nijmegen High Field Magnet Laboratory. | |
The 1,500-pound Dodge Tomahawk can reach 60 miles an hour in about 2.5 seconds, and has a theoretical top speed of 300 mph. | |
Solotrek XFV Exo-skeletor Flying Vehicle |
MAHEM (Magneto Hydrodynamic Explosive Munition): "Science fiction inspires DARPA weapon," 22 April 2008, at http://www.newscientist.com/blog/technology/2008/04/science-fiction-inspires-darpa-weapon.html (Retrieved: 25 April 2008).
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