Impact of through-flow and swirling magnetohydrodynamic flows of liquid metal in a cylindrical channel on the transport of temperature non-uniformities

Abstract

This article presents an experimental and numerical study of the generation of low-frequency temperature pulsations in liquid-metal pipelines and the possibility of suppressing pulsations that may cause thermal-cycling fatigue through the electromagnetic generation of counter-vortex mixing flows. Flows arising in a cylindrical channel under the influence of oppositely rotating magnetic fields (RMFs) are considered both with and without a through-flow. The source of the temperature fluctuations is a localized heater. It is shown that under the action of a solitary RMF, a rotational flow with secondary poloidal circulation occurs. The simultaneous action of two counter-rotating magnetic fields generates complex structures, such as regular quasi-harmonic jet-like streams, localized tornado-like vortices, and chaotic multi-vortex modes. It was found that the jet-like flow ensures efficient radial heat transfer and shifts the temperature-pulsation spectrum toward lower frequencies (less than 1 Hz). Maps of the hydrodynamic modes were obtained as a function of the electromagnetic forcing intensity. Characteristic temperature pulsation frequencies were determined for each mode. Characteristic temperature pulsation frequencies were determined for each mode.