Recent Results on MHD Flow Control at Ioffe Institute

Abstract

§§ This paper is a review of the investigations carried out at the Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University under the support of the EOARD during 2001 – 2006 years. These investigations were devoted to searching for ways and means of affecting a supersonic flow of a weakly ionized gas by an electromagnetic impact aimed at the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) control of gas flows. In the course of the experimental investigations the authors were studying magnetohydrodynamic processes in supersonic xenon and nitrogen flows over plane models affected by external electric and magnetic fields, and, at the latest stage, about a body of revolution containing all components of the electromagnetic system inside itself. The results obtained evidence possibilities of an effective control of the shock wave structure of supersonic gas flows by MHD method. Also first attempts to measure heat flux toward the body surface under the interaction were made. Some initial results of measurements of the heat flux are presented.