PREFACE

E. Baake

Academic Director Institute of Electrotechnology Leibniz University of Hannover

Abstract
The International Colloquium on Modelling for Electromagnetic Processing in Hannover from 27 to 29 October 2008 was the fifths one in the tradition of these colloquiums organized by the University of Latvia and the University of Hannover since 1999 held in Riga or in Hannover. In 2008, the Institute of Electrotechnology of the Leibniz University of Hannover had the pleasure to be the host of the Colloquium MEP 2008, which had brought together scientists and researchers from universities, research institutions and industrial companies. The total number of 90 attendants coming from 14 countries has met completely the expectations of the hosts. The 60 contributions were divided between about 47 oral presentations and 13 posters. The most representative papers (oral and poster) in the field of MHD were selected to be published in the form of these special issues of the international journal Magnetohydrodynamics. Electromagnetic processing of materials is a future-oriented increasing field of applications for the use of electromagnetic fields. Increasing interest is observed in melting processes for metals and non-metallic materials, in the combination of melting and casting, in solidification or segregation of metals and special alloys, in crystal growth of semiconductors or in special electromagnetic treatment of materials. Experimental investigations or optimization by trials are becoming more expensive, more personal and cost consuming with an increasing complexity of the processes or they are impossible to realize under industrial conditions. Therefore, physical and mathematical modelling plays a more and more important role for the analysis, the understanding of phenomena and the optimization of processes and technologies. The Institute of Electrotechnology of the Leibniz University of Hanover has a long tradition of education and research in this fields: main activities of the institute are in induction melting of metals and metal alloys, in the recent years specially in melting technology for high quality alloys, in induction heating with the use of longitudinal flux and increasingly in transverse flux heating, in use of electromagnetic fields for crystal growth in semiconductor or photovoltaic industries, in induction heat treatment like surface hardening of complex geometries, and in electromagnetic processing of melts before solidification. Physical and mathematical modelling plays an important and necessary role for the analysis and optimization of such processes. An increasing important field of research is the mathematical optimization for the design of processes and devices. The colloquium was intended to be an exchange platform for scientists and engineers presenting results in their different activities and for discussions with international experts, researchers, equipment manufacturers and users of the technologies. Moreover, the colloquium has offered a forum for a review and an actual update of innovations and researches in methods of modelling for electromagnetic processing.