Analysis of an Electromagnetic Boundary Layer Probe for Low Magnetic Reynolds Number Flows

Electromagnetic (EM) flow meters are used to measure volume flow rates of electrically conductive fluids (e.g., low magnetic Reynolds number flows of seawater, milk, etc,) in pipe flows. The possibility of using a modified form of EM flow meter to nonobtrusively measure boundary-layer flow characteristics is analytically investigated. The device, named an electromagnetic boundary layer (EBL) probe, would have a velocity integral-dependent voltage induced between parallel wall-mounted electrodes, as a conductive fluid flows over a dielectric wall and through the probe's magnetic field