Velocity Distribution Characteristics Of Sea Water In Conductiv Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Homopolar Ducts

Shortcomings of conventional propeller propulsion can theoretically be removed by using a modern technology - unconventional hydroelectromagnetic propeller or magnetohydrodynamic (MHD thruster), that highlights an application of great interest about physical phenomena that occur in the interaction between electromagnetic fields and electrically conductive fluids. In application to marine propulsion, investigations of a variety of physical phenomena was carried out, including the flow characteristics in a MHD duct, thrust efficiency and optimum shape of the duct.

This paper presents related interaction phenomena between a magnetic induction, created by a d.c. electromagnet and d.c. current, perpendicular to the field, imposed by a voltage difference between two electrodes in the conductive sea water. The fluid is forced to the direction perpendicular to the plane where magnetic and electric fluxes are intersecting, this force is called the Lorentz force. Experimental and theoretical studies were carried out on small magnetohydrodynamic model (DC homopolar model) having two channels arranged in series or parallel. Each time the speed distribution was followed over the channel axis and perpendicular to channel axis.