Numerical Modeling and Experimental Verification on Sensitivity Properties of MHD Sensor

Abstract

For the insight of MHD sensor’s transferring function, the time-varying laminar flow model of magnetohydrodynamic effect was established. In the physical model the inlet and outlet, which directly drive the flows of annulus, were substituted for external walls that drive them by viscous forces. Physical model was decomposed by finite element method and iteratively solved by the scheme of segregated steps. The prototype MHD sensor was designed, fabricated, and calibrated by rotational table. Sensitivity factors of magnitude-frequency characteristics between 5 and 500Hz from the model and the prototype were 44V/(rad/s) and 48V/(rad/s) respectively. The amplitude non-linearities of 0.02-0.10rad/s, derived from the model and the prototype, were about 2% and 5% each. The results show that sensitivity properties derived from the model are consistent with ones from the prototype sensor, which will provide a reference for improving the performance of MHD sensor.