A Fundamental Theoretical and Experimental Study of Rotary Magnetohydrodynamics

摘要

A combined theoretical and experimental investigation of the magnetohydrodynamics of a magnetically driven vortex, including both a closed cycle (homopolar) and open cycle (helical) configuration, constructed in this laboratory, was made. The theory of the magnetohydrodynamics of the homopolar device for the general case of an incompressible conducting fluid is presented, and the resulting system of equations simplified appreciably. Detailed discussions of the two special cases of very high and very low conductivity are given. The cases of a homopolar device with a compressible fluid, and a helical device with an incompressible fluid are likewise discussed in a preliminary manner. A detailed experimental study of the homopolar device, including exhaustive measurements of the static pressure, azimuthal and radial velocities, boundary layer behavior, and the effect of a changing electrode radius was made. The experimental work concerned with the helical device was preliminary, and was limited to measurements of the net outflow velocity. (Author)