ABSTRACT
The low energy density of coal requires the movement of huge quantities of material and increases considerably the price at the user's point. Truck transportation of coal is a prohibitively inefficient way to bring the energy to the user's point considering the use of gasoline, the wear and tear of cars and highways, and the simultaneous generation of additional smog, dust, and highway congestion. Magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) converters are an important next step from coal gasification to power generation, via direct conversion into electricity. The gas ionization can be used for a charge separation by application of a magnetic field. The MHD-channel design has been developed further to increase the sidewall stability. Aluminum was found to be satisfactory material for sidewall elements near the anode electrode wall and tungsten copper, tungsten, or molybdenum cladding on a copper substrate were best for use near the cathode wall.
