Transient thermal analysis of a high power density magnetohydrodynamic nozzle

The transient heat conduction in a high power density magnetohydrodynamic nozzle has been numerically modeled. The numerical scheme is based on finite differences and the solution procedure used a successive under relaxation technique. The comparisons of numerical results with analytical solutions for simpler problems and with the available experimental data show good agreement. The numerical model also inferred additional data that could not be obtained through the experiments. This information and the implications of the results on the future design of similar components are also discussed.