Magneto-Fluid-Mechanic Channel Flow. I. Experiment

Abstract

An experiment is described in which fully developed turbulent channel flow of mercury was investigated in the presence of a uniform transverse magnetic field. The channel test section was constructed from an electrical insulator and was rectangular in cross section. The flow was studied in the range of Reynolds numbers: 58 000–180 000, based on channel equivalent diameter. Hartmann number was varied between zero and values sufficiently high to change the flow from turbulent to laminar at the corresponding Reynolds number. Skin friction coefficients were deduced from static pressure measurements along the length of the channel. Velocity profiles were obtained from traversing probe total head measurements.