Abstract: | A finite element method is given to obtain the numerical solution of the coupled equations in velocity and magnetic field for unsteady MHD flow through a pipe having arbitrarily conducting walls. Pipes of rectangular, circular and triangular sections have been taken for illustration. Computations have been carried out for different Hartmann numbers and wall conductivity at various time levels. It is found that if the wall conductivity increases, the flux through a section decreases. The same is the effect of increasing the Hartmann number. It is also observed that the steady state is approached at a faster rate for larger Hartmann numbers or larger wall conductivity. Selected graphs are given showing the behaviour of velocity, induced magnetic field and flux across a section. |