Numerical study of magnetohydrodynamic viscous plasma flow in rotating porous media with Hall currents and inclined magnetic field influence

A numerical solution is developed for the viscous, incompressible, magnetohydrodynamic flow in a rotating channel comprising two infinite parallel plates and containing a Darcian porous medium, the plates lying in the x-z plane, under constant pressure gradient. The system is subjected to a strong, inclined magnetic field orientated to the positive direction of the y-axis (rotational axis, normal to the x-z plane). The Navier-Stokes flow equations for a general rotating hydromagnetic flow are reduced to a pair of linear, viscous partial differential equations neglecting convective acceleration terms, for primary velocity (u') and secondary velocity (v) where these velocities are directed along the x and y axes. Only viscous terms are retained in the momenta equations. The model is non-dimensionalized and shown to be controlled by a number of dimensionless parameters. The resulting dimensionless ordinary differential equations are solved using a robust numerical method, Network Simulation Methodology. Full details of the numerics are provided. The present solutions are also benchmarked against the analytical solutions presented recently by Ghosh and Pop [Ghosh SK, Pop I. An analytical approach to MHD plasma behaviour of a rotating environment in the presence of an inclined magnetic field as compared to excitation frequency. Int J Appl Mech Eng 2006;11(4):845-856] for the case of a purely fluid medium (infinite permeability). We study graphically the influence of Hartmann number (Ho, magnetic field parameter), Ekman number (Ek, rotation parameter), Hall current parameter (Nh), Darcy number (Da, permeability parameter), pressure gradient (Np) and also magnetic field inclination (0) on primary and secondary velocity fields. Additionally we investigate the effects of these multiphysical parameters on the dimensionless shear stresses at the plates. Both primary and secondary velocity are seen to be increased with a rise in Darcy number, owing to a simultaneous reduction in Darcian drag force. Primary velocity is seen to decrease with an increase in Hall current parameter (Nh) but there is a decrease in secondary velocity. The study finds important applications in magnetic materials processing, hydromagnetic plasma energy generators, magneto-geophysics and planetary astrophysics. Crown Copyright (c) 2009 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.