Optimal design of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) thruster systems for a superconducting electromagnetic propulsion ship

-Since a decade the demand for electricity is increasing at alarming rate and the demand for power is running ahead of supply. The present day methods of power generation are not much efficient & it may not be sufficient or suitable to keep pace with ever increasing demand. The recent severe energy crisis has forced the world to rethink & develop the Magneto Hydro Dynamic (MHD) type power generation which remained unthinkable for several years after its discovery. It is a unique & highly efficient method of power generation with nearly zero pollution. It is the generation of electric power directly from thermal energy utilizing the high temperature conducting plasma moving through an intense magnetic field. In advanced countries this technique is already in use but in developing countries it’s still under construction. Efficiency matters the most for establishing a power plant. MHD power plants have an overall efficiency of 55-60% but it can be boosted up to 80% or more by using superconducting magnets in this process. Whereas the other non conventional methods of power generation such as solar, wind, geo-thermal, tidal have a highest efficiency not more than 35%. Hence by using MHD power generation method separately or by combined operation with thermal or nuclear plants we hope to bring down the energy crisis at a high rate.

El estudio eléctrico de un aerogenerador superconductor para bajas velocidades de viento, se

puede desglosar en dos etapas: diseño eléctrico y construcción. Para desarrollar el diseño eléctrico del

aerogenerador, es necesario comprender ciertos conceptos de estos; la parte eléctrica principal del

aerogenerador es el rotor y el estator el cual es el generador de una FEM y por el otro lado los materiales

necesarios para su construcción tomando en cuenta las condiciones de operación de las máquinas eléctricas

superconductoras. En el presente trabajo, se mencionan los componentes principales de una maquina

eléctricas y los materiales necesarios para la construcción de prototipos que nos sirvan como referencia para

poder innovar en un futuro en otros aerogeneradores superconductores.

Distribution transformers are used to cater power to the consumers Power system components should be designed cost-optimally for better economy. Various techniques are used to reach the optimality condition. The specifications have to be fulfilled, generally in presence of given constraints. The objective functions are framed according to the need of the utilities and the consumers. Constraints are imposed as per directives of electricity regulatory authorities. In this paper a new approach has been made to reach the optimal design for a 3-phase distribution transformer- the random search technique. Random numbers have been generated by randomizing the timer and the values of the key variables have been randomly chosen in the variable space defined by the bounds and widened to cover the global optima. The minimal cost and the corresponding values of the key variables have been trapped by opening a counter and then the design has been made using these values. In this approach, the total no of iterations is much less as well as the level of complexity. The design is very near to optimal or quasi-optimal- it has been established by comparing the results with those obtained by exhaustive search.