MHD flow in an annular channel; theory and experiment

Abstract

The theory of Hunt & Stewartson (1965) for MHD flow in a rectangular duct with conducting walls parallel and non-conducting walls perpendicular to the magnetic field is applied to the problem of electrically driven MHD flow in a rectangular annulus. It is assumed that the Hartmann numberMis sufficiently great for secondary flow effects to be negligible. The experiment described here satisfied the conditions of the theory and thus provides a sensitive experimental check on Hunt & Stewartson's theory. The theory is found to agree with the experiments to within the accuracy of the asymptotic theory.