Experimental Study of a Centrifugal Conductive MHD Pump

Results of experiments performed on disk models of a centrifugal conductive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) pump, which can be considered as prototypes of pumps in casting of ferrous and nonferrous metals, are presented. Low-temperature Wood and Rose alloys are used as working fluids. Dependence values of the output pressure and flow rate on parameter IB (where I is the electric current and B is the magnetic field) in various pump operation modes are determined for a model centrifugal conductive MHD pump with an axisymmetric supply of current (the side surface of the MHD cell is electrically conductive). Similar experiments on the model with an insulated surface of the MHD cell and external electrodes in the zero flow rate regime show that the output pressure generated by the pump is appreciably greater than that in the case with an axisymmetric current supply.