A simplified technique for determining the boundary layer voltage loss in MHD generators

✍ Scribed by R.C. Dolson; O. Biblarz

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1977
• Weight: 475 KB
• Volume: 16
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0013-7480
• DOI: 10.1016/0013-7480(77)90028-6

✦ Synopsis

MHD generator performance predictions require an accurate determination of the voltage losses in the channel; however, most techniques for determining these losses need substantial calculations and/or computer storage space. This paper proposes a simplified method for calculating the ohmic boundary layer contribution to the overall voltage losses. Voltage drop regions are discussed and a description of the turbulent boundary layer contribution is derived. Appropriate simplifying assumptions on the basic transport and MHD concepts are used to express the conductivity as a function of temperature only. Weighting functions for averaging the resistivity in turbulent boundary layers are determined and the nature of these functions is presented. Our results are compared with more precise descriptions and with experimental results.