Load characteristics of a magnetohydrodynamic channel with an optimal distribution of the specific resistance of the working body

K. A. Lur'e - T. Yu. Simkina

Abstract
This paper discusses a magnetohydrodynamic channel with finite electrodes located in an external field and dropping smoothly to zero beyond the limits of the electrode zone. The optimal (in the sense of a maximum of the current taken off) resistance of the working body in the channel is described by a symmetric tensor, one of the main values of which is infinitely great, and another equal to σ_min. A qualitative characterization is given of the dependence of the current taken off from the electrodes, with an optimal distribution of the specific resistance, on the value of the external load. It describes a scheme for the numerical solution of the problem of determining optimal lines of flow in the channel and gives the results of calculations carried out in a BESM-4 digital computer. A comparison is made with the case of a channel filled with a substance having a constant specific resistance