Influence of a magnetic field on liquid metal free convection in an internally heated cubic enclosure

Abstract

The buoyancy‐driven magnetohydrodynamic flow in a cubic enclosure was investigated by three‐dimensional numerical simulation. The enclosure was volumetrically heated by a uniform power density and cooled along two opposite vertical walls, all remaining walls being adiabatic. A uniform magnetic field was applied orthogonally to the gravity vector and to the temperature gradient. The Prandtl number was 0.0321 (characteristic of Pb–17Li at 300°C), the Rayleigh number was 10⁴, and the Hartmann number was made to vary between 0 and 2×10³. The steady‐state Navier–Stokes equations, in conjunction with a scalar transport equation for the fluid's enthalpy and with the Poisson equation for the electrical potential, were solved by a finite volume method using a purposely modified CFD code and a computational grid with 64³ nodes in the fluid. Emphasis was laid on the effects of increasing the Hartmann number on the complex three‐dimensional flow and current pattern.

Citation

Ciofalo, M. and Cricchio, F. (2002), "Influence of a magnetic field on liquid metal free convection in an internally heated cubic enclosure", International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, Vol. 12 No. 6, pp. 687-715. https://doi.org/10.1108/09615530210438355