Method of and system for producing electrical power

摘要

A method and system for converting the chemical energy of methane to electrical energy. Methane is thermally decomposed to hydrogen and carbon in a decomposing unit at a temperature not less than 1200 DEG K. and at a pressure above atmospheric pressure. Carbon and substantially pure oxygen and a cesium or potassium seed material is transmitted to a combustor which is maintained at a pressure of at least 50 atmospheres to combust the carbon and oxygen and provide an ionized plasma having a temperature not less than 2900 DEG K. The ionized plasma is accelerated to a velocity not less than 1000 m/sec and transported through an MHD generator having a magnetic field in the range of from 4 to 6 Tesla to generate dc power. The ionized plasma is decelerated and passed from the MHD generator in heat exchange relationship with the methane to heat the methane for decomposition, and thereafter any cesium or potassium seed material is recovered and transported to the combustor, and the dc power from the MHD generator is converted to ac power.