STUDIES ON AN INERT GAS DISK HALL GENERATOR DRIVEN IN A SHOCK TUNNEL.
Abstract
A theoretical and experimental study of the plasma properties and fluid mechanics of a large disk magnetohydrodynamic generator driven by high temperature argon seeded with cesium is presented. With a high initial degree of ionization of the seed, theoretical and experimental results indicate a quiescent behavior of the plasma and the generator performance matches the expectation based on the local values of conductivity and Hall coefficient. With a low initial degree of ionization of the seed, nonequilibrium ionization is experimentally observed but is accompanied, as theoretically expected, by large electron density fluctuations. The existence of a long relaxation length and density fluctuations lead to a reduction of the generator performance. The maximum effective Hall coefficient is found to be equal to two, as could theoretically be expected for a plasma with large isotropic fluctuations. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1967
- Accession Number
- AD0810248
Entities
People
- Jean F. Louis