MHD-FLOW IN SLOTTED CHANNELS WITH CONDUCTING WALLS

A review of experimental results is presented for magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow in rectangular channels with conducting walls and high aspe ct ratios (longer side parallel to the applied magnetic field), which are called slotted channels. The slotted channel concept was conceived at Efremov Institute as a method for reducing MHD pressure drop in li quid metal cooled blanket design. The experiments conducted by the aut hors were aimed at studying both fully developed MHD-flow, and the eff ect of a magnetic field on the hydrodynamics of 3-D flows in slotted c hannels. Tests were carried out on five models of the slotted geometry . A good agreement between test and theoretical results for the pressu re drop in slotted channels was demonstrated. Application of a ''one-e lectrode movable probe'' for velocity measurement permitted measuremen t of the M-shape velocity profiles in the slotted channels. Suppressio n of 3-D inertial effects in slotted channels of complex geometry was demonstrated based on potential distribution data.