Speaking of magnetohydrodynamic power generation, Academician Wan admits that his generation is no stranger to it. It's not a new invention. In the 1980s, with the restart of controlled nuclear fusion and China's commitment to developing aircraft carriers, magnetohydrodynamic power generation was designated a key national development project. A review of historical data reveals that magnetohydrodynamic power generation was a highly regarded topic at the time.
However, later on, breakthroughs in gas technology developed rapidly. China absorbed a lot of advanced experience and put it to use. It also accumulated its own research and development results, which quickly took the place of magnetohydrodynamic power generation and became the mainstream today.
Although magnetohydrodynamic power generation, like the stellarator device, has a promising future that Ren Dawei is optimistic about, it is only the future!
At that time, when the technical difficulties had not been overcome and the requirements of magnetohydrodynamic power generation were difficult to achieve, and the country needed to have practical technology at hand and pursue real economic benefits for substantial development, magnetohydrodynamic power generation began to fade away and became unpopular and no longer sought after.
Magnetohydrodynamic power generation generates electrical energy through the interaction between flowing conductive fluid and magnetic field.
Magnetohydrodynamic power generation technology uses fuels such as oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear energy, etc. to directly heat them into easily ionized gases, ionizing them into conductive ion flows at a high temperature of 2000°C. Then, when they flow at high speed in a magnetic field, they cut the magnetic lines of force and generate induced electromotive force, that is, directly converting thermal energy into electric current. Since there is no need for mechanical conversion, it is called direct power generation!
Its fuel utilization rate is significantly improved, and this technology is also called plasma power generation technology.
Why is it said that the difficulties of magnetohydrodynamic power generation cannot be overcome? This is because, generally speaking, the temperature of steam is not enough to heat the gas to a high temperature of 2000 degrees and form a plasma beam. Even if it is barely achieved, this process is likely to be accompanied by a large amount of heat energy loss. Therefore, the cycle efficiency of magnetohydrodynamic power generation technology is difficult to reach more than 20%, resulting in energy waste. This is the major reason for its decline.
However, their Jinwu Project is different. In the future, the Jinwu stellarator device will be ignited by the ultra-high temperature generated by the DT fusion reaction.
The raw materials of DT reaction are deuterium and tritium. DT reaction is the easiest to occur among all nuclear fusion reactions. Currently, the controlled nuclear fusion devices in actual experiments are based on this reaction.
The helium generated by the "D+T" fusion reaction in the stellarator itself exists in the form of plasma with a temperature of over 100 million degrees!
In other words, in realizing the principle of magnetohydrodynamic power generation, they no longer need to go through great pains and spend a lot of energy to heat the ionized gas. They only need to utilize these plasmas carrying huge energy and convert them into abundant electricity supply!
This technology cannot be applied to coal-fired, oil-fired, or even nuclear fission power generation, but when applied to nuclear fusion power generation, it is a technology match tailor-made for it!
Using high-temperature plasma to boil water is a real waste of energy and resources!
Talking to people who understand saves effort. Whether it is Academician Wan or Academician He, these old fusion experts are full of experience. A simple eye contact can make them understand what everyone is focusing on, without the need for too much verbal explanation. Such a combination of ideas is really comforting.
Although Wu Tong could afford to waste time explaining, why bother wasting time? The person who truly needed an explanation was not worthy of the responsibility of being the chief engineer of the Jinwu Project!
The next day, Wu Tong, accompanied by Mr. Cheng, Academician Wan and Academician He, welcomed a working group led by Mr. Yi from the nuclear power team of the Nuclear Industry Group.
"Mr. Yi, thank you for accepting the invitation and leading the team to come and support us!" As the project manager, Wu Tong was the first to step forward to greet him and extended his hand to shake hands with Mr. Yi, expressing the Jinwu Project's attention and welcome to Mr. Yi's arrival.
"Mr. Yi!" Immediately, Academician Wan, Academician He, and Elder Cheng... all shook hands and greeted Mr. Yi. They all knew him. In fact, they had interacted with him before. Mr. Yi Guangyuan, this old man, had been deeply involved in the nuclear industry and nuclear power for many years, and had extensive experience in the design of fission reactors and nuclear power generation units.
"Hearing is believing, Mr. Wu, I have admired you for a long time, and finally I have the chance to meet you!" Old Yi laughed heartily, and stretched out his hands to shake hands with Wu Tong seriously, "I took the initiative this time to come and meet Mr. Wu, hoping to be of any help to Wu Tong!" He had enough authority to know this amazing young friend, but he had heard a lot of confidential information, and he had long wanted to find an opportunity to meet Wu Tong.
This time, after receiving the connection with the Jinwu Project, he stepped up his efforts and rushed over.
"I must have admired you for a long time. I'm so grateful to you for coming here from thousands of miles away. Now, I'll leave the power generation project to you!" Wu Tong smiled and entrusted him deeply.
Although Yi Lao's previous main research and development area was the experience accumulated in fission nuclear reactors, which may not be completely applicable to fusion reactors, since they are both nuclear power, there are still similarities between the two.
Regarding how to convert the heat energy generated by the reactor into electrical energy, this is Yi Lao’s professional area!
Actually, Wu Tong herself had considerable research experience in generators, but her design for an improved aircraft carrier still relied on gas turbines. She had several other key areas to focus on, so she couldn't spare the time to develop her own generators.
However, after the implementation of the Jinwu Project, it may be possible to consider using miniaturized controlled nuclear fusion plus magnetohydrodynamic power generation to assist aircraft carriers, so that their aircraft carriers can become truly unlimited endurance sea dragons that can roam the deep blue and dominate the four seas!
"Please, let's go upstairs and discuss it in detail in the conference room!" Mr. Yi was kind, and Wu Tong also treated him with humility as a junior. After a brief greeting, he invited Mr. Yi upstairs to the prepared conference room for discussion.
In the conference room, everyone sat down in rows. Mr. Yi did not underestimate Wu Tong because of his young age. From the information he learned, Wu Tong also had a deep research foundation in generator sets, but not in the fields of nuclear power generation and magnetohydrodynamic power generation.
However, if one method is understood, a hundred methods will be understood. Even though it is not Wu Tong's area of expertise, Wu Tong can still communicate with him easily and understand his explanations. Meeting such a general manager really saved them from countless explanations and preparations. Therefore, after Yi Lao sat down, he got straight to the point.
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