A mathematical model of the basic electro-hydrodynamic process including effects of turbulence

Description

A mathematical model of the basic electro-hydrodynamic (EHD) process is developed and described. The carrier fluid is treated as incompressible and turbulent. The injected particles are treated as uniform in mass and electrical charge. The analysis is broken down into three phases, namely, the basic flow, the perturbation due to injection of mass, and the perturbation due to introduction of electrical charge. This method greatly simplifies and improves the analysis. A final system of nine basic partial differential equations is obtained. These equations, along with the appropriate boundary conditions, fix the fluid and particle velocities and particle density at all points in the field. The basic equations are developed in a fully non-dimensional form. The mathematical model here presented is unique in its analytical approach and in its treatment of turbulence effects. Through computer simulation, it offers new possibilities for the study and development of EHD power generation systems. The analytical model has been developed to the point where it sis ready for computer programming. Such a program would be useful for estimating optimum design parameters and performance possibilities for a wide variety of axi-symmetric configurations and a wide range of operating conditions. (Author)

Subjects