Hypersonic MHD Interaction on a Conical Test Body with a Hall Electrical Connection

— The MHD interaction around a conical test body in a hypersonic argon flow was experimentally investigated. The aim of the experiment was to produce a data base to be used for the validation of numerical codes for the analysis and the simulation of the magneto-fluid dynamics in hypersonic flows. In these ex-periments the flow was obtained in the high-enthalpy arc-heated hypersonic wind tunnel – HEAT - of Alta (Pisa-Italy). Speeds at Mach 6 were reached. In the present experiment the flow and the plasma characteristics have been determined. The MHD interac-tion was obtained in the shock layer of a conical test body placed at the exit of the hypersonic nozzle. The realized electrical con-figuration allowed to enhance the effect of the MHD interaction on the plasma parameters. This was done by utilizing the Hall field to generate the MHD interaction and by short-circuiting the Faraday current inside the plasma of the shock layer. The mag-netic flux density was produced by an array of three magnets located in the test body. Test runs were performed at three differ-ent stagnation pressures. Fluid-dynamic, electrical and optical observations have been done. The experiment showed a large effect of the MHD interaction on the values of the measured quan-tities. In order to have a test body entirely contained in the region where a uniform hypersonic flow has been measured, a test body of smaller sizes has been constructed and tested. The results ob-tained in this case confirm the results of the tests with the larger body.