Superconducting magnets for an MHD test facility and base load power plant

The development of Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) power generation in the U.S. may involve the construction of an Engineering Test Facility (ETF) as a step toward a base load or full-scale power plant. This paper describes the superconducting magnet requirements for the ETF and base load plants and gives the results to date in a program involving production of magnet reference designs for the two systems. Each magnet produces a tapered field profile with a maximum of 6.0 T on axis. Warm bore inlet and outlet diameters for the ETF magnet are 0.9 m and 1.75 m, respectively; and the active field length is 7.0 m. For the full-scale system, the corresponding dimensions are 2.25 m, 4.75 m, and 16 m. Overall electrical and mechanical characteristics for these design points are given. Some of the areas which present unique design and construction problems for magnets of this size are discussed.