DIAGNOSTIC EXPERIMENTS IN A MAGNETICALLY DRIVEN SHOCK TUBE.

Abstract

The experiments described in this report are intended to provide a detailed picture of the flow pattern inside a MAST when the initial magnetic field is in the axial direc tion. The experimental program was set up to provide answers to these two questions which had not been considered in detail before. First, do either of the two existing theoretical models considered predict an accurate over-all momentum balance for the device over a wide range of experimental conditions with an initial axial magnetic field. Second, what is the detailed flow pattern inside the device over a range of axial magnetic fields, and is either of the models considered a reasonable approximation to the observed flow pattern. It was hoped that evidence would be obtained to indicate that the shock separated from the current sheet, as one of the aims of the project was to develop a device that would produce a gas sample whose properties could be calculated. Of particular interest here was the switch-on shock wave, and it was hoped that the existence of such a shock could be demonstrated. When no evidence of a homogeneous gas sample was obtained, the current-sheet behavior was studied in an attempt to understand why the expected separation did not occur.

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 31, 1964
Accession Number
AD0610583

Entities

People

  • John B. Heywood

Organizations

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Magnetic Fields
  • Momentum
  • Shock
  • Shock Tubes
  • Shock Waves
  • Tubes
  • Waves

Readers

  • Combustion Dynamics and Shock Wave Physics.
  • Educational Psychology
  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics