Plasma Fluid Flow Behavior and Power Generation Characteristics in a High‐Temperature Inert Gas Plasma Faraday MHD Generator

The plasma fluid flow behavior and power generation characteristics in a Faraday magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator using a high‐temperature inert gas (argon) plasma have been examined in a time‐dependent two‐dimensional numerical simulation. The inhomogeneous and unstable plasma at an inlet total temperature of 7000 K results in reductions and fluctuations in the output power. The plasma becomes homogeneous and stable as the inlet total temperature increases to 9000 K. One of the reasons for the suppression of ionization instability may be weakness of the dependency of the electrical conductivity on the electron number density, because the Coulomb collision of electrons becomes dominant during deviation from Saha equilibrium.