Transverse edge effect in a cylindrical MHD channel with sectioned side wall

L. K. Kovalev - S. M.-A. Koneev

Abstract
The transverse edge effect is discussed in a cylindrical MHD channel with solid electrodes and a side wall consisting of a conducting section separated from the electrodes by nonconducting spacers. The transverse external magnetic field B and conductance are assumed to be constant in the channel cross section. With a given axisymmetric velocity profile, the problem is solved by conformal mapping of one half of the channel onto the upper half-plane with subsequent application of the Keldysh--Sedov formula. The current density and potential distributions in the channel cross section are analyzed. The integral channel characteristics are determined as functions of the electrode apex angle and the fraction of non-conducting gaps.