PROPERTIES OF THE COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF POWDER FUELS FOR PULSED MHD GENERATORS

The electrophysical properties of the combustion products of carbon, a luminum, boron, and magnesium powders and their mixtures with alkali-m etal salts (K2CO3 and KNO3) in oxygen and air are numerically investig ated, and the results are compared with the analogous parameters of th e combustion products of solid plasma-forming fuels and liquid metalli zed fuels based on kerosine on ignition in oxygen and air. Fuel based on metal powder (aluminum magnesium, and their mixtures) with ignition in air and carbon powder with ignition in oxygen are found to be of m ost interest for pulsed MHD generators. Combustion of aluminum in air yields the greatest theoretical electrical conductivity sigma and ener gy parameter sigmav2 (v is the flow velocity) of the combustion produc ts. With a pressure P(k) approximately 4 MPa in the combustion chamber at a Mach number M approximately 3, the corresponding values are sigm a approximately 8.5-130 S/m, sigmav2 approximately 450-690 (S/m) (km/s ec)2; the electron mobility mu(e) approximately 0.7-0.9 T-1. The elect rophysical properties of the combustion products of magnesium-based fu el differ by less than 30 % from those for aluminum-based fuel, but th eir temperature in the combustion chamber is 400-500 K less.