Boundary layer profile measurements in the electrode wall of a combustion driven MHD channel

Conference · Sat Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1977

OSTI ID:6795266

James, R. K.; Kruger, C. H.

Profiles of temperature and electron number density were measured in the electrode wall boundary layer of the Stanford M-2 MHD channel with applied electric field. Results were obtained for two flow conditions, and several electrical conditions. Calculations of profiles using a boundary layer computer program were made. Measured temperature profiles with no current showed some discrepancies with the theory, but generally the agreement between theory and experiment was adequate. The Joule heating of the plasma caused a significant increase in the measured temperature profiles. Good agreement was obtained between calculated and measured profiles that included the effect of Joule heating. Some electron number density non-equilibrium near the wall was apparently observed, although the amount of non-equilibrium was less than predicted. At high local current densities, measurements show the electron number density profile to be relatively flat near the wall at current densities where the anode voltage drop appears to indicate that a current constriction is occurring.

• Research Organization: Stanford Univ., CA (USA). High Temperature Gasdynamics Lab.
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 6795266
• Report Number(s): CONF-780307--11
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
300104* -- MHD Generators-- Duct Engineering & Fluid Dynamics
BOUNDARY LAYERS
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
CURRENT DENSITY
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRON DENSITY
HEATING
JOULE HEATING
LAYERS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MEASURING METHODS
MHD CHANNELS
MHD GENERATORS
PLASMA
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
PLASMA HEATING
TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION
TURBULENCE
VOLTAGE DROP