Effect of symmetry conditions on the signal of an MHD flowmeter with a circular cross section for an arbitrary velocity profile

By representing the magnetic induction, weight vector, and velocity as Fourier series, an expression is obtained for the signal of an MHD flowmeter in a two-dimensional approximation. The expression is then used to study the effect of the type of symmetry of the weight vector, magnetic field, and velocity on the information content of the signal. It is shown that for an arbitrary velocity profile the signal of an MHD converter of circular cross section always contains components bearing no information on the flow rate. The information content of the signal from a two-electrode MHD converter is analyzed, and it is shown that it can be used for nondisruptive studies of the flow structure.