TITLE:
Analysis of the Effect of Temperature on MHD Electrical Power Generation with Lattice Boltzmann Method
AUTHORS:
Daniel Azure Ayine, Rabiu Musah, Christian John Etwire
KEYWORDS:
Electrically Conducting Fluid, Lattice Boltzmann Method, Electrodes, Velocity Set, Power Generator, Working Fluid
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Fluid Dynamics,
Vol.15 No.2,
April
25,
2025
ABSTRACT: The flow of electrically conducting fluids is vital in engineering applications such as Magneto-hydro-dynamic (MHD) generators, Fusion reactors, cooling systems, and Geo-physics. In this study, a mathematical model has been formulated to investigate the effect of temperature on power generation in different sections of an MHD Generator with salt solution (Seawater) as the working fluid. Also, the Lattice Boltzmann method was employed to simulate the fluid flow in an MHD generator for different inlet temperatures in Python. The impact of the working fluid’s inlet temperature on power generation has been established by varying the inlet temperature of the working fluid. The temperature, velocity, and electrical power profiles along and across the generator channel have been extracted and analyzed. The results affirm and complement the findings of experimental and analytical studies of MHD power generation. The study established that high temperature enhances velocity and pressures at the inlet, facilitating ionization and conductivity of the working fluid and resulting in peak electric power within one-fifth of the generator channel. Reduction in temperature towards the outlet results in decreased ionization and low conductivity of the working fluid, accounting for a decline in electric power. The study further revealed that maximum power is obtained from the inlet region along a three-fifths section of the generator. The power then declines in the last two-fifths of the generator channel and stabilizes asymptotically towards the outlet.