Analysis of magnetoplasmadynamic interaction in the boundary layer of a hypersonic wedge

A model for the analysis of the magnetoplasmadynamic regime, devoted to magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) systems in a hypersonic flight, is presented. In the assumption of a low-magnetic-Reynolds-number regime, the model couples a time-dependent formulation of fluid dynamics with steady-state electrodynamics. The Navier-Stokes equations are discretized by means of a finite volume formulation. The electrodynamics is discretized by means of a finite element method. The model has been utilized for the analysis of the MHD Interaction In the boundary layer of a test body in a wind tunnel. The activity Is aimed to design the experimental activity in the frame of an Italian Space Agency research project on the MHD interaction in hypersonic flows. Calculations have shown that MHD interaction can be greatly weakened by the effect of the Hall current.