Effect of the form of the electrodes on the current distribution in a magnetogasdynamic channel

Abstract

A solution is given to the plane problem of the flow of a conducting gas across a homogeneous magnetic field in a magnetogasdynamic channel taking account of the Hall effect at small magnetic Reynolds numbers. The channel is formed by two long electrodes, and the cross section of the channel varies slightly and periodically along the gas flow. It is assumed that the electromagnetic forces are small. It is shown that the current distribution in the channel is nonuniform to a consider able degree and that inverse currents can form at the electrodes, with both subsonic and supersonic flows of the conducting gas. Transverse motion of the gas, due to a change in the cross section of the channel, leads to an increase of Joule energy losses. In [1] the current distribution was obtained in a flat channel formed by infinite dielectric walls, with the flow of a steady-state stream of plasma through the channel across a homogeneous magnetic field. With interaction between the flow and the magnetic field, closed current loops develop in the channel.