Three-dimensional MHD duct flows with strong transverse magnetic fields. Part 3. Variable-area rectangular ducts with insulating walls

Abstract

The general analysis developed in Parts 1 and 2 of three-dimensional duct flows subject to a strong transverse magnetic field is used to examine the flow in diverging ducts of rectangular cross-section, the walls of which are electrically non-conducting. A dramatically different flow is found in this case from that studied in Part 2, where the side walls parallel to the magnetic field were highly conducting. Now it is found that the core velocity normalized with respect to the mean velocity is of O(M^−½) while the velocity in the side-wall boundary layers is of O(M^½), so that these boundary layers carry most of the flow. The problem of entry is solved by analysing the change from fully developed Hartmann flow in a rectangular duct to the flow in the diverging duct. It is found that the disturbance in the upstream duct decays exponentially. The analysis of the side-wall boundary layers is more difficult than that in Part 1 on account of the different boundary conditions and requires the solution of two coupled integro-differential equations. Numerical solutions are obtained for a duct whose width increases linearly in the flow direction.