MHD Generator and Accelerator Experiments in Seeded and Unseeded Air Flows

摘要

Two types of MHD experiments were conducted using air flows produced by hypersonic shock tunnels. One experimental program was designed to evaluate the feasibility of using the Lorenz forces developed in an MHD generator for the attitude control of a hypervelocity vehicle. During this study the electrical conductivity of the seeded shock layer flow about a blunt model located in the shock tunnel test section was investigated along with the effect of pre-heating the generator electrodes. In the second experimental program, a Faraday accelerator is being studied to determine its ability to add kinetic energy to a high density, unseeded air flow in a high enthalpy shock tunnel. Measurements were made of the gross electrical conductivity of the flow, with and without an applied magnetic field. The meaning of the electrical conductivity measurements for each of these experiments is discussed. (Author)