Open Access

ARTICLE

Magnetohydrodynamics Stability of Natural Convection During Phase Change of Molten Gallium in a Three-Dimensional Enclosure

S. Bouabdallah^1,2, R. Bessaïh¹

1 LEAP Laboratory, Dept. Mechanical Eng. University of Mentouri-Constantine, Algeria
2 Dept. Mechanical , University of Laghouat, Algeria

Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing 2010, 6(3), 251-276. https://doi.org/10.3970/fdmp.2010.006.251

Abstract

In this paper, a numerical study of magnetohydrodynamics stability during phase change of a pure metal (liquid Gallium) in a cubical enclosure is presented. An external magnetic field is applied in X-, Y-, and Z-directions separately. Two electric potential boundary conditions are considered: electrically conducting and insulating walls. The finite-volume method with enthalpy formulation is used to solve the mathematical model in the solid and liquid phases. The Grashof number is fixed at Gr =105and the Hartmann number is varied from Ha= 0 to 200. The effect of magnetic field on the flow field and heat transfer, and on the interface position between the solid and liquid phases is presented. Stability diagrams (Vmax-Ha) and (Nuavg-Ha) in each direction of magnetic field are obtained and discussed. We show that the strangest stabilization of the flow field and heat transfer is obtained when the magnetic field is applied in the horizontal direction Bx, and when all walls of the cubical enclosure are electrically conducting.

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Keywords

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