Magnetohydrodynamics:
A Promising Technology for Efficiently Generating Electricity From Coal
EMD-80-14: Published: Feb 11, 1980. Publicly Released: Feb 11, 1980.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
Contact:
A review of the status, potential, and alternative Federal strategies for development of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), a promising but relatively unproven technology for generating electricity from coal, was undertaken. Systems developed using this technology generate electricity by moving super-hot electrically charged gas through a powerful magnetic field. The strong points of these systems are their potentially high operating efficiencies and low environmental emissions. Their weak points are the many technical problems associated with using coal as their fuel. Commercial-scale systems using coal are still about 20 years away. Another weak point is that although the Department of Energy (DOE) will have spent about $273 million to develop MHD by 1979, it will cost about $2 billion through the 1980's to continue to develop and demonstrate the technology. At present, DOE has developed a two-phased MHD program which calls for testing at three new larger-than-laboratory United States facilities and a $372 million pilot plant. Because DOE plans to use test results from the three new test facilities as the basis for a pilot plant design, testing delays at these facilities could affect the quality of information available to support the design. DOE has already experienced from 2-month to 1-year delays in starting testing at the three facilities. Also reviewed was the essentially conservative United States MHD program and how it compared to the Soviet Union's program which can be described as building a large plant based on results at relatively small facilities and accepting the risk that costly changes may have to be made to the plant to make the effort technically successful.
DOE's MHD program is now midway into the first phase. GAO believes that DOE should strive to maintain its test schedule. Options for minimizing delays in the program include: (1) modifying design of the larger-than-laboratory Component Development and Integration Facility; (2) using overtime at that facility; and (3) modifying test plans at the other two new facilities. If more delays occur, however, and these options cannot provide sufficient test results to effectively design a pilot plant, DOE should reexamine the pilot plant schedule. Technology development could be accelerated by accelerating and/or skipping pilot plant design and construction. However, the risks of premature design of a major coal burning facility because of insufficient design data are high. A decision to adopt this or another approach to accelerate the technology's development should be based on a thorough analysis of the potential risks and benefits. Before the Government decides whether to request congressional approval for preliminary design of a MHD pilot plant, DOE should select one of three pilot plant alternatives; a Government-owned-and-operated plant, a joint Government-utility plant, or a Government-owned-and-operated plant. Advantages of the joint facilities include: (1) involving users more directly in MHD development, which could facilitate commercialization, and (2) lower construction costs to the Government.
Dec 10, 2020
-
Uranium Management:
Actions to Mitigate Risks to Domestic Supply Chain Could Be Better Planned and CoordinatedGAO-21-28: Published: Dec 10, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 10, 2020.
Dec 8, 2020
-
Offshore Wind Energy:
Planned Projects May Lead to Construction of New Vessels in the U.S., but Industry Has Made Few Decisions amid UncertaintiesGAO-21-153: Published: Dec 8, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 8, 2020.
Nov 19, 2020
-
Nuclear Waste Disposal:
Better Planning Needed to Avoid Potential Disruptions at Waste Isolation Pilot PlantGAO-21-48: Published: Nov 19, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 19, 2020.
Oct 29, 2020
-
Nuclear Safety:
DOE and the Safety Board Should Collaborate to Develop a Written Agreement to Enhance OversightGAO-21-141: Published: Oct 29, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 29, 2020.
Oct 15, 2020
-
Nuclear Weapons:
NNSA Plans to Modernize Critical Depleted Uranium Capabilities and Improve Program ManagementGAO-21-16: Published: Oct 15, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 15, 2020.
Jul 24, 2020
-
Nuclear Weapons:
Action Needed to Address the W80-4 Warhead Program's Schedule ConstraintsGAO-20-409: Published: Jul 24, 2020. Publicly Released: Jul 24, 2020.
Jun 24, 2020
-
National Nuclear Security Administration:
Analyzing Cost Savings Program Could Result in Wider Use and Additional Contractor EfficienciesGAO-20-451: Published: Jun 24, 2020. Publicly Released: Jun 24, 2020.
Jun 9, 2020
-
Nuclear Weapons:
NNSA Needs to Incorporate Additional Management Controls Over Its Microelectronics ActivitiesGAO-20-357: Published: Jun 9, 2020. Publicly Released: Jun 9, 2020.
May 13, 2020
-
Environmental Liabilities:
DOE Needs to Better Plan for Post-Cleanup Challenges Facing SitesGAO-20-373: Published: May 13, 2020. Publicly Released: May 13, 2020.
May 12, 2020
-
Hanford Waste Treatment Plant:
DOE Is Pursuing Pretreatment Alternatives, but Its Strategy Is Unclear While Costs Continue to RiseGAO-20-363: Published: May 12, 2020. Publicly Released: May 12, 2020.
Looking for more? Browse all our products here