Analyzing the Feasibility of Magnetohydrodynamic Propulsion; Study on Environmental Impacts at all Stages of Engineering Design 3 views

Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) is the concept of producing silent thrust enabling vessels to be propelled without detection. Commonly seen as a futuristic marine propulsion mechanism, popularized in pop culture through Tom Clancy's 1984 novel The Hunt for the Red October and 1989 movie of the same name. My capstone group sought to find the feasibility of magnetohydrodynamic drives and its thrust capabilities through iterative design and testing with the goal of maximizing thrust to weight ratio and building a prototype vessel to test the design on. Many issues were faced in the early design process; a major environmental concern was electrolysis which released chlorine gas into the ocean. This proved problematic and revealed the necessity of environmental concerns at all stages of the life cycle even though commonly not thought of. Lithium-ion batteries are advertised as a more environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels however while they produce no tail pipe emissions, their real environmental impact is shifted to other stages of the life cycle not seen by the consumer. My STS research ties into my technical research through highlighting the ethical importance for engineers to look through the whole life cycle of new technologies for environmental concerns. This connection demonstrates how engineering decisions must account for ethical and environmental impacts beyond customary performance metrics. The main concept behind MHD drives is Lorentz force, the cross product of an electrical and magnetic field. The ability for silent propulsion is extremely valuable in marine defense where sound propagates over four times faster than in air. My capstone group sought to optimize the thrust produced by an MHD drive to demonstrate its feasibility. We conducted iterative tabletop testing with an MHD drive and force sensor changing magnets, the current and electrodes chemical composition. The project produced a functional MHD propulsion prototype and allowed us to quantify how design variables influenced thrust output. Through the initial design and research, we discovered that electrolysis would occur at the electrodes because of the chemical interaction with salt water. This introduced a key engineering tradeoff between increasing current for higher thrust and limiting corrosion and chlorine gas production, which reduced the MHD Drive’s performance. The STS portion of my research was to conduct a lifecycle environmental study between lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles and fossil fuels. I looked at all parts of the life cycle to determine the environmental and social impact of both energy sources, from resource extraction, production/manufacturing, use, to end-of-life. Both Qualitative and Quantitative data were used from three primary sources including two research studies looking at the benefits and life cycle of Lithium-ion batteries. The study was more descriptive than experimental and did not involve collecting new data but primarily used previously published results. While the study was limited to secondary sources for feasibility within the research the extent of detail provided in the studies used provided robust analysis and results. The analysis revealed that lithium-ion batteries shift environmental burdens to extraction and manufacturing stages rather than eliminating them, with water depletion, habitat destruction and human rights concerns being major issues in mining regions. It also showed the environmental impact of electric vehicles depends heavily on the energy sources used for battery production and charging. Fossil fuels however, have continuous environmental harm particularly over combustion. These findings demonstrate that sustainability is dependent on broader energy systems rather than the technology. Through both my technical and STS research I have found the importance of environmental and social factors affecting the full life cycle of engineering. With electrolysis occurring when testing the MHD drive and extreme environmental and social issues associated with extraction and production of lithium-ion battery materials my research addressed the question of if innovative futuristic solutions should replace existing technologies before aspects of potential harm are addressed and the infrastructure is developed to support them. These projects reinforce the need for engineers to evaluate full life cycle consequences of new technologies and emphasize that ethical engineering requires integrating environmental responsibility and life cycle analysis into the design process. Ultimately, sustainable innovation depends not only on new technologies but on how they are implemented within existing systems.

BS (Bachelor of Science)

Magnetohydrodynamic Propulsion; Sustainable Transitions; Life-cycle Analysis

School of Engineering and Applied Science Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technical Advisor: Daniel Quinn, Associate Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Technical Advisor: Christopher Goyne, Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering STS Advisor: Richard D. Jacques, Ph.D., Department of Engineering & Society Technical Team Members: Eric Avellone, Kellylyn Brinkac, Cameron Dearman, Jack Finning, Will Hixson, Tyler Kaczmarek, William McGee, Amitav Suchdev, Albert Tang

English

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2026-05-07