Magnetohydrodynamic generators

Claim 1

IN A MAGNETOHYDYNAMIC GENERATOR; AN ELONGATED CONDUIT MADE OF AN ELECTRICALLY INSULATING MATERIAL AND ADAPTED TO BE TRANSVERSED BY A HOT GASEOUS STREAM CONTAINING CONSTITUENTS IONIZABLE IN POSITIVELY AND NEGATIVELY CHARGED FRAGMENTS; MEANS FOR PRODUCING INSIDE SAID CONDUIT A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM MAGNETIC FIELD SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF SAID ELONGATED CONDUIT; A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT COLLECTING ELECTRODES SECURED AGAINST THE INSIDE WALL OF SAID CONDUIT, THE TWO COLLECTING ELECTRODES OF EACH PAIR BEING DISPOSED IN A CONFRONTING POSITION WITH THE FLAT SURFACES THEREOF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF SAID ELONGATED CONDUIT AND TO SAID MAGNETIC FIELD, AND BEING CONNECTED, OUTSIDE SAID CONDUIT, THROUGH A UTILIZATION LOAD; A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF SUBSTANTIALLY ELONGATED IONIZATION ELECTRODES CARRIED BY AND TRAVERSING THE WALL OF SAID CONDUIT, AND ELECTRICALLY INSULATED FROM SAID COLLECTING ELECTRODES, EACH OF SAID IONIZATION ELECTRODES HAVING A DISCHARGE END LOCATED INSIDE SAID CONDUIT AND A FEED END LOCATED OUTSIDE SAID CONDUIT, THE DISCHARGE ENDS OF THE TWO IONIZATION ELECTRODES OF EACH PAIR BEING DISPOSED IN A CONFRONTING POSITION, WITH THE DIRECTION OF THE STRAIGHT LINE CONNECTING SAID DISCHARGE ENDS OF TWO IONIZATION ELECTRODES BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF SAID ELONGATED CONDUIT; AND MEANS FOR APPLYING IN OPERATION, BETWEEN THE FEED ENDS OF THE TWO IONIZATION ELECTRODES OF EACH PAIR VOLTAGE PULSES HAVING A SUFFICIENT AMPLITUDE TO PRODUCE ARCS BETWEEN THE DISCHARGE ENDS OF SAID TWO ELECTRODES THROUGH SAID GASEOUS STREAM FLOWING IN OPERATION THROUGH SAID CONDUIT IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION THEREOF.