Flow simulation of gallium in a cylindrical annulus in the presence of a magnetic field for improving the casting process

Abstract

<br />Free convection flow in an enclosure filled with a congealing melt leads to the product with a nonuniform structure involving large grains. The convective flows are decreased by applying an appropriate magnetic field, obtaining uniform and small grain structures. In this work, using the finite volume method, we investigated the application of a magnetic field to the convective heat transfer and temperature fields in steady and laminar flows of melted gallium in an annulus between two horizontal cylinders. The inner and outer walls of the annulus are hot and cold, respectively. Moreover, the effect of the magnetic field on the flow and temperature distribution has been investigated. The influence of the variation of other parameters including the Rayleigh number and the angle of the magnetic field on the flow and temperature field also have been studied. It has been revealed that on changing the field angle to the horizon, the Nusselt number (Nu) is increased, which is of importance in a specific range of Hartmann numbers. Also with increasing the Rayleigh number, the change in Nu with the magnetic field intensity does not occur.