Duct for magnetohydrodynamic devices

Claim 1

IN AN MHD DEVICE HAVING A DUCT FOR CONVEYING AN ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE GAS THROUGH A MAGNETIC FIELD, A PLURALITY OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED ELECTRODES IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID GAS FOR CONDUCTING ELECTRICITY GENERATED BY THE MOVEMENT OF SAID GAS RELATIVE TO SAID MAGNETIC FIELD, AND CHARACTERIZED BY RESULTANT ELECTRIC FIELD GRADIENTS AT ANY GIVEN POINT WITHIN SAID DUCT COMPRISING THE VECTOR ADDITION OF A FIRST ELECTRIC FIELD GRADIENT NORMAL TO THE DIRECTION OF GAS FLOW AT ANY SUCH GIVEN POINT AND A SECOND ELECTRIC FIELD GRADIENT PARALLEL TO THE DIRECTION OF GAS FLOW AT SAID ANY SUCH GIVEN POINT, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: (A) A PLURALITY OF HEAT RESISTANT, NONMAGNETIC, AND ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE PLATES DISPOSED IN SIDE BY SIDE RELATIONSHIP DEFINING AT LEAST PART OF SAID DUCT, SAID PLATES EACH HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING WHICH SURROUNDS THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID DUCT AND A PASSAGE FOR RECEIVING A COOLANT ADJACENT SAID CENTRAL OPENING, AT LEAST SOME OF SAID PLATES INTERSECTING A PLURALITY OF SAID RESULTANT ELECTRIC FIELD GRADIENTS AND BEING AT LEAST APPROXIMATELY NORMAL TO SAID RESULTANT FIELD GRADIENTS AT THE POINTS OF INTERSECTION; (B) MEANS FOR FIXEDLY MAINTAINING SAID PLATES IN ELECTRICALLY-INSULATED AND SIDE BY SIDE RELATIONSHIP; (C) SEALING MEANS FOR PREVENTING PASSAGES OF GAS BETWEEN SAID PLATES; AND (D) ELECTRODE MEANS COMPRISING SAID OPPOSITELY DISPOSED ELECTRODES CARRIED BY AND IN ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH PORTIONS OF SAID PLATES EXPOSED TO SAID GAS.