Experimental Study of MHD-Assisted Mixing and Combustion Under Low Pressure Conditions

In order to reveal the mechanism of MHD-assisted mixing, and analyse the major parameters which influence the effect of MHD-assisted mixing, experiments of MHD-assisted mixing are carried out with a non-premixed butane-air combustion system. The evolvement of the discharge section and the effect of MHD-assisted mixing on combustion are investigated by changing the magnetic flux density and airflow velocity. The results show that the discharge area not only bends but also rotates around the centered wire electrode, which are mainly caused by the Lorentz force. Moreover, the highest curvature occurs near the centered wire electrode. The discharge localizes near the surface of the wire electrode and annular electrode when there is no ponderomotive force. However, if the ponderomotive force is applied, the discharge happens between these two electrodes and it gradually shrinks with time. The discharge area cannot localize near the annular electrode, which is due to the increase of energy loss in the airflow. When the airflow velocity exceeds a certain value, the discharge section becomes unstable because the injected energy cannot maintain the discharge. The rotation motion of the discharge section could enlarge the contact surface between butane and air, and is therefore beneficial for mixing and combustion. Magnetic flux density and airflow velocity are critical parameters for MHD-assisted mixing.