Results and progress on the NASA Lewis H2-O2 MHD program

It was found that flame sprayed ceramic coatings on combustion chamber and nozzle walls permit operation with hot walls, thereby eliminating possible problems associated with seed condensation. However, under the conditions of experiment the net heat transfer was unexpectedly increased over that of cold copper walls. Pressure disturbances associated with oblique pressure waves were measured in a MHD channel. These disturbances are due to a rocket-type nozzle which was designed to achieve low weight rather than perfectly parallel flow at the exit. A new nozzle with parallel flow at the exit was designed. Electrical conductivity measurements agreed well with theory except at low combustion pressures and/or high ratios of seed/oxygen mass flows (seed was injected into oxygen flow line). The discrepancy is believed to be the result of poor atomization of the seed at high ratios of seed/oxygen mass flows which results in droplet sizes which do not completely vaporize the combustor.