Abstract: There is provided a method for wet-vapor, liquid-metal magnetohydrodynamic power conversion.

Abstract: A method for gas compression using a two-phase flow gas/liquid metal MHD pump. The method includes providing an MHD pump having a converging flow duct, mixing the gas to be compressed with a liquid metal, to form a two-phase mixture, compressing the gas in the two phase mixture by driving the mixture through the converging duct, using the MHD effect, the heat of compression of the gas being substantially transferred to said liquid metal, separating the two-phase mixture into its gaseous and metallic components, and reducing the pressure of the metallic component by passing it through a pressure-reducing means. There is also provided an n-stage, two-phase flow MHD compressor system. The compressor has practically no moving parts.

Abstract: The rate of heat or mass transfer in a stream of liquid metal is enhanced by producing a stream of liquid metal in a conduit, creating turbulent flow at least in one plane of the stream and at least in a section of the conduit, and applying a magnetic field to the turbulent flow at least in a direction which is non-parallel to the plane, thereby amplifying intensity and scale of the turbulence and reducing the rate of viscous turbulent energy dissipation to cause an enhancement of heat or mass transfer-rate.

Abstract: A system for converting thermal energy into electrical energy includes a fluid reservoir, a relatively high boiling point fluid such as lead or a lead alloy within the reservoir, a downcomer defining a vertical fluid flow path communicating at its upper end with the reservoir and an upcomer defining a further vertical fluid flow path communicating at its upper end with the reservoir. A variable area nozzle of rectangular section may terminate the upper end of the upcomer and the lower end of the of the downcomer communicates with the lower end of the upcomer. A mixing chamber is located at the lower end portion of the upcomer and receives a second relatively low boiling point fluid such as air, the mixing chamber serving to introduce the low boiling point fluid into the upcomer so as to produce bubbles causing the resultant two-phase fluid to move at high velocity up the upcomer.

Abstract: Various heat cycles are disclosed which make use of comparatively low grade heat such as that from hot rock geo-thermal sources, the cycles incorporating either a helical screw expander or a rotary vane expander operating with an organic working fluid and in accordance with the invention, the exhaust from the helical screw expander or rotary vane expander is used in a conventional rankine cycle.

Abstract: A method of converting thermal energy into another energy form, comprising the steps of providing a liquid working fluid with said thermal energy, substantially adiabatically compressing the working fluid, substantially adiabatically expanding the hot compressed working fluid by flashing to yield said other energy form in an expansion machine capable of operating with wet working fluid and of progressively drying said fluid during expansion, and condensing the exhaust working fluid from the expansion machine. Apparatus for converting thermal energy into another energy form is also provided.