Magnetohydrodynamic thermally driven flows in a channel-induction furnace

L. Buligins - A. Eggers - A. Muhlbauer

Abstract
Results of experimental and numerical studies of the flows in an industrial one-loop channel-induction furnace with a 250 kW inductor and a vertical model with Wood metal have been presented. Simultaneous temperature measurements over the channel as well as the flow rate measurements, both as functions of the inductor power, have been performed. Experimental results have been used for the determination of the effective temperature conductivity and the friction factor in a one-dimensional theoretical model with coupled equations for the heat transfer and flow rate. A good agreement with experimental results was achieved using a square root depedence on power for the effective temperature conductivity and a quadratic friction law with a constant friction factor. The integral electromagnetic force over the channel has been proved, by studying the power-off/power-on operation conditions, to be friction force. Linear stability analysis has been carried out by deriving the respective system of Lorentz type equations and investigating its solution. It was confirmed experimentally that the flow stability in liquid metal loops with an electromagnetically induced current increases at the power increase while for ordinary fluid loops, the opposite statement is true. Tabl. 2, fig. 9, ref. 14.