Non-Equilibrium Plasma Instabilities
J.P. Petit and J. Geffray
LAMBDA Laboratory, France
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Low magnetic Reynolds non thermal plasmas are sensitive to the Velikhov electrothermal instability when the Hall parameter exceeds the local critical value. Then the instability quickly grows and highly reduces the performance of MHD converters. After operating (International MHD Meeting, Warsaw 1968) the first high power density two temperature - but short duration - MHD Faraday generator, using a first stabilization method, we presented a better one in the beginning of the eighties that was demonstrated through low pressure experiments (French Academy of Sciences, 1981; And 8th International MHD meeting, Moscow 1983). This second method was based on a non uniform: B-field and electrical tensor conductivity. It is time now to rebuild MHD activities all over the world as deserved, corresponding to progress of today's techniques. Different applications of this instability cancellation are presented.
DOI: 10.12693/APhysPolA.115.1170
PACS numbers: 52.30.Cv, 52.35.-g, 52.55.-s