| Abstract: | The most complete study and construction of extremal plasma flow regimes in the channel of an MHD generator may be accomplished using the methods of variational calculus. The variational problem of conducting-gas motion in an MHD channel was first discussed in 1]. The general formulation of the problem for the MHD generator was considered in 2]. Solutions of variational problems for particular cases of extremal flows are given in 2–5].The present study obtains the solution of the variational problem of the flow of a variable conductivity plasma in an MHD generator which has maximal output power for given channel length or volume. An analysis of the solution is made, and a comparison of the extremal flows with optimized flow in a generator with constant values of the electrical efficiency and flow Mach number is carried out. |
