THEORETICAL ANALYSIS ON THE MHD STABILITY OF LIQUID METAL CURRENT COLLECTORS

CURRENT CARRYING CONDUCTING FLUIDS ARE KNOWN TO BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO A NUMBER OF MHD INSTABILITY MODES. THIS TYPE OF INSTABILITY IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR IN LIQUID METAL CURRENT COLLECTORS, WHICH CAN CAUSE SERIOUS DISRUPTION TO THEIR OPERATIONS. THE MECHANISMS THAT DRIVES THE INSTABILITY ARE WELL UNDERSTOOD AND THE INSTABILITY CAN BE STABILIZED BY THE APPLICATION OF A MAGNETIC FIELD ALONG THE CURRENT CHANNEL. THE REQUIREMENT FOR STABILIZATION AND THE THRESHOLD, IN TERMS OF THE CURRENT DENSITY AND BOUNDARY CONDITIONS FOR THE ONSET OF THE INSTABILITY CAN BE CALCULATED THEORETICALLY. WE PROPOSE, THEREFORE, TO CARRY OUT A THEORETICAL ANALYSIS ON THE MHD STABILITY OF THE CURRENT CHANNEL IN THESE SYSTEMS TO DETERMINE THE STABILITY THRESHOLDS BY UTILIZING NORMAL MODE ANALYSIS AND THE ENERGY PRINCIPLE. THE PHYSICAL MODEL OF THE INSTABILITY AND THE ANALYTICAL APPROACH TO BE FOLLOWED ARE DESCRIBED.