Influence of Cross-sectional Shape on Generator Performance and Electromagnetic Fluid Phenomena of DCW-MHD Generators for Hypersonic Airplanes

摘要

The present three-dimensional numerical analysis reveals the influence of cross-sectional shape on the generator performance and electromagnetic fluid behavior in DCW-MHD generators for hypersonic airplanes. We design the MHD generators with square or rectangular cross section. Under the optimum load condition, all generators can produce the electric power output more than 10 MW. However, as the cross-sectional shape extends in the vertical direction to the magnetic field (in the y-direction), the Joule dissipation increases. This is because the x- and z-component of current density become larger with extending the cross section. As the cross-sectional shape extends to the y-direction, the averaged x-component flow velocity decreases and the nonuniformity of the x-component flow velocity becomes more obviously.