DOI: 10.1615/ICHMT.2009.TurbulHeatMassTransf
ISBN Print: 978-1-56700-262-1
ISSN: 2377-2816
A numerical study of swirl accumulation in a flow driven by rotating and traveling magnetic fields
SINOPSIS
Electromagnetic stirring provides an attractive approach to control the melt flow in metallurgy and crystal growth. Recently, the combination of rotating and traveling magnetic fields has received much interest. While the laminar flow driven by the individual fields is well investigated, the turbulent regime and the effects of superposition are largely unexplored. The paper presents direct numerical simulations for different combinations of rotating and traveling fields. The numerical model is based on the low-frequency/low-induction limit and employs a spectral element − Fourier method for spatial discretization. Our results indicate that a traveling field superimposed to a rotating magnetic field leads to an intensification of swirl, secondary flow and turbulence intensity, without destroying the axial symmetry. For higher forcing ratios, a "tornado"-like flow structure is established.