Description of venture idea
Install MHD generators in thermal power plants (e.g. nuclear fission, fusion, or coal) to increase power conversion efficiency.
MHD energy conversion has two promising applications:
- Retrofit existing coal power plants to reduce CO2 emissions by a factor of two. In a coal plant, the furnace heats some steam, which drives a turbine. The cycle efficiency can’t get much higher than 30-40%. That’s because there is a penalty in converting a high-entropy form of energy like heat to a low-entropy one. Put a MHD generator between the furnace and the steam turbine. Converts the energy directly to electricity without having to go through a thermal cycle. You still keep the steam turbine for the output from the MHD generator.
- Improve the thermal efficiency of other thermal power plants that don’t have a combined cycle, such as Nuclear fission, Nuclear fusion, or Concentrated solar power
Market needs this venture would address
- Cost-effective nuclear energy
- Less dirty coal (see What technologies and policies would ensure that the developing world becomes wealthy in a clean, sustainable way?)
Technical capabilities this venture might leverage
Business model
TBD. Most likely start with a small beachhead market and then partner with a large power generation equipment company in the design of future plants.
Team
Samuel Frank and Jeffrey P Freidberg
Outstanding risks
- Go to market strategy. Needing to be incorporated in the design of the power plant is a challenge to adoption, especially for nuclear fission.
- Technology risk (see MHD generators)