Characterization of a liquid metal magnetohydrodynamic generator under inductionless approximation

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The characterization of a liquid metal magnetohydrodynamic generator is proposed. The LM-MHD generator could be considered coupled or not to a thermoacoustic machine since the driving pressure gradient is taken as harmonic in nature and consequently the liquid metal flow is oscillatory. To achieve characterization, the analysis/numerical modeling of a harmonic pressure gradient driven laminar fully developed liquid metal flow interacting with an externally applied magnetic field within a rectangular cross-sectioned duct is performed. The magnetohydrodynamic conditions of the problem are considered inductionless, i. e., the induced magnetic field is considered to be small enough that the externally applied magnetic field can be taken as constant.