The sensitivity of the flow driven by a travelling magnetic field to axial alignment

The present experimental study is concerned with the sensitivity of the flow driven by a travelling magnetic field (TMF) to axial alignment. Referring to the center axis of the TMF generating coil system the fluid volume was stepwise dealigned. Because the flow induced in a TMF is, basically, of a torus type, vertical velocity components are representative for the motion in the meridional plane. To acquire velocity profiles the Ultrasound Doppler velocimetry (UDV) was used which allows gathering the whole profile along the ultrasonic beam. Several transducers were mounted at the bottom of the fluid covering vessel and connected to the multiplexer channels of the UDV device. Eutectic GaInSn was used as working fluid. Analysing mean velocity profiles and the spatiotemporal properties of the flow, the study shows, that already for small deviations from coaxial conditions the flow topology changes.