On the feasibility of a closed loop MHD generator working with helium gas

The magnetically induced nonequilibrium ionization of helium gas at pressures 0.5 atm and 1 atm, temperature 2000 K, and flow velocity 2000 m/s, flowing through a generator of the segmented infinitesimal electrode type, was investigated for magnetic field strengths of 5 and 10 T. Helium gas is represented by a four level system: atomic and molecular metastables and atomic and molecular ions. The electron energy distribution function is assumed to be a double Maxwellian. The calculations show that for electron densities in the range of 1-10×10¹⁷ m^-3, the induced electric field is 2000-12000 V/m, the current density is 100-2000 A/m², the electrical conductivity is 0.01-0.23 (mho/m) and the power density is 0.4-18 MW/m³