Editing Electric generator (section)

====Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator====
{{main|Magnetohydrodynamic generator}}
A magnetohydrodynamic generator directly extracts electric power from moving hot gases through a magnetic field, without the use of rotating electromagnetic machinery. MHD generators were originally developed because the output of a plasma MHD generator is a flame, well able to heat the boilers of a [[Rankine cycle|steam]] [[power plant]]. The first practical design was the AVCO Mk. 25, developed in 1965. The U.S. government funded substantial development, culminating in a 25 MW demonstration plant in 1987. In the [[Soviet Union]] from 1972 until the late 1980s, the MHD plant U 25 was in regular utility operation on the Moscow power system with a rating of 25 MW, the largest MHD plant rating in the world at that time.<ref>Langdon Crane, ''Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Power Generator: More Energy from Less Fuel, Issue Brief Number IB74057'', Library of Congress Congressional Research Service, 1981, retrieved from [https://digital.library.unt.edu/govdocs/crs/permalink/meta-crs-8402:1 Digital.library.unt.edu] 18 July 2008.</ref> MHD generators operated as a [[topping cycle]] are currently (2007) less efficient than [[combined cycle]] [[gas turbines]].