ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Magnetohydrodynamic converter

Okay, kiddo! So, you know what a magnet is, right? It's something that attracts certain metals like iron. And you know what happens when you move your hand through water or air, it creates some sort of force against your hand?

Well, a Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) converter is a machine that uses the power of magnets and the flow of gases, like air or plasma, to create electricity. Imagine a huge pipe with a magnet on one side and a flat plate on the other. As a gas, such as air, moves through the pipe, it gets heated and ionized, turning into plasma. And remember, plasma is a gas with charged particles in it!

The charged particles, like electrons and ions, move through the magnetic field and create an electrical current. The electrical current then powers generators that create electricity.

So, in simple terms, an MHD converter turns hot plasma into electricity using magnets by making charged particles move through a magnetic field. It's a bit like magic!