High Hartmann number flow through a rectangular duct with unequally and finitely conducting walls

摘要

AbstractNonsymmetric Hartmann flow through a rectangular duct is investigated for thin duct walls with, generally, unequal but finite conductivities. A high Hartmann number is adopted. Consistent with known phenomena, both Hartmann layers transverse to the applied magnetic field are assumed to be separated from the two side boundary layers by four corner regions plus four inner corner regions. The method of singular perturbations and matched asymptotic expansions is applied to the coupled system. The equations governing the core and Hartmann layers are first partially resolved for leading terms. This is then followed by tackling equations governing one side layer and two adjacent corner regions. The latters' incorporation secures, for the former, only those boundary conditions that are compatible along the transverse walls. Both corner regions are denied access to non‐required boundary conditions along the neighbouring side wall by the adjoining inner corner regions. However, the latters' boundary value problems need not be tackled for the acquirement of only dominant terms beyond all four inner corner regions. The complementary side layer and associated corners are accounted for by a non‐symmetric reflection principle.Results reveal that a difference between conductivities in the transverse walls together with at least one finitely conducting side wall impart to disturbances within the core and Hartmann layers (i) a nontrivial dependence on the transverse coordinate relative to the magnetic field and flow in addition to the (usual) dependence on the field aligned coordinate,(ii) a dependence on side wall parameters in addition to the dependence on transverse wall parameters.Applications to related situations are considered. These include the case for a perfectly conducting lower wall, a finitely conducting upper wall, and equally and finitely conducting side wa