MHD power generators in central stations

The broad area of MHD power generation is surveyed in this article, with emphasis on its application to central stations. Following a brief discussion of the MHD principle, three types of combined power plants are described: the coal-burning MHD-steam power plant, the noble-gas MHD generator with a nuclear heat source, and the liquid-metal MHD generator. Design problems and operating characteristics are presented, together with possible advantages and problem areas.