MHD channel development, part 4

This is the final report of work performed by Avco Research Laboratory, Inc. for the U.S. Department of Energy, Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center. The overall objectives of this program were: to contribute, by appropriate systematic experimental and analytical investigations, to the engineering data base necessary for the design and construction of MHD generators at the 50 MW(sub th) and ultimately at commercial sizes; and to design and fabricate specific hardware items to be tested at a site to be specified by DOE. The program consisted of a series of related tasks, which are described in subsequent sections of this report. Section 4.0, MHD Channel Construction and Lifetime, reports experimental investigations related to MHD channel reliability and lifetime, where the principal aim is to improve the constructability, maintainability, and reliability of coal-fired, long-duration MHD channels.