Electro-chemical processes controlled by high magnetic fields: application to MHD sea water propulsion

Ph. Mathon¹ - A. Nouri¹ - A. Alemany¹ - J.-P. Chopart² - V. Sobolik³ - D. Baaziz⁴

¹ PamirTeam, SIMaP-EPM Laboratory, ENSEEG, BP 75, 38402 St Martin d'Heres cedex, France %E-mail: philippe.mathon@simap.grenoble-inp.fr }
² DTI, Universite de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, U.F.R. Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, Moulin de la Housse, BP 1039, 51687 Reims cedex 2, France }
³ Universite de La Rochelle, Pole Sciences et Technologie, LMTAI, Avenue Michel Crepeau, 17042 La Rochelle cedex 01, France }
⁴ Laboratoire MDFTA, faculte de Physique, USTHB, BP 32 El Alia 16111 Bab Ezzouar Alger, Algeria

Abstract
The flow generated by a seawater magnetohydrodynamic thruster has been investigated experimentally and numerically on a miniature model constructed in the laboratory and used in a high magnetic field up to 13 T. The same device was used to study MHD flows of electrolytes controlled by currents limited by mass transfer. A theoretical analysis of these flows has also been performed and both experimental and numerical results agree to this analysis. Figs 10, Refs 3.