Investigations of electrovortex flows with multi electrode power supply

A. Chudnovsky¹ - Yu. Ivochkin² - A. Jakoviċs^3\ - S. Pavlovs³ - I. Teplyakov² - D. Vinogradov²

¹ JSC LATVO, 53 Ganibu Dambis str., Riga, Latvia
² Joint Institute for High Temperatures, 13/2 Izorskaya str., Moscow, Russia
³ University of Latvia, 3 Jelgavas str., Riga, Latvia

Abstract
Electrovortex flow of liquid metal in a vessel relates to melt stirring in electrometallurgical processes and aggregates, such as welding, electroslag remelting, electrical arc furnaces and others. Maximum values of electromagnetic force and flow velocity develop in the zone between or under the electrodes, where sophisticated 3D flows are formed. In the paper, examples of electrovortex flows near two fully submerged electrodes with bifilar DC supply are discussed. The measured electrical potential and 3D self-magnetic field compared with results of numerical calculation and with a quasi 2D model of EM fields are discussed. Numerically computed 3D electrovortex flow patterns are presented for two regimes, i.e. (i) laminar and (ii) turbulent obtained with the LES approach. There is good qualitative and quantitative agreement between experimental data, analytical and numerical computation results, as well as with some previously published results. Figs 7, Refs 11.