Three-dimensional flow in a supersonic MHD generator with boundary layer separation

Abstract

A computational experiment is performed in order to estimate the importance of volume gasdynamic effects in an MHD channel with continuous electrodes. Singularities are analyzed of secondary flows arising as a result of nonuniformity of Hall current in the direction of insulating walls. It is demonstrated that, at the initial stage of development of separation flow (during formation of separation bubble on the anode), secondary flows additionally destabilize the anode boundary layer and increase the layer stability at the cathode. In the developed stage of separation, secondary flows contribute to the emergence of separation bubbles in the channel corners. As the MHD effect increases, the cathode separation bubbles merge into a single separation zone.