Contactless inductive flow tomography for models of continuous casting and crystal growth

Contactless inductive flow tomography (CIFT) enables the reconstruction of the major flow structure in electrically conducting liquids, like molten steel or silicon. It is based on the permeation of the melt by an external primary magnetic field and the subsequent induction of currents, which generate a flow-induced secondary magnetic field. The measured secondary field allows for reconstruction of the flow by solving the underlying linear inverse problem. We present results for the application of CIFT for two lab-scale model experiments of (a) continuous steel casting in the presence of an electromagnetic brake and (b) Czochalski crystal growth with a thermally driven convection. In the first scenario (a), the electromagnetic brake poses the biggest challenge, since its strong static magnetic field of about 300 mT superimposes the flow-induced field of about 100 nT, and the brake’s ferromagnetic parts distort the CIFT excitation field. We show how this can be overcome by simulations and adequate instrumentation using gradiometric induction coil sensors, which enables correct flow reconstructions in this scenario. In the second setup (b) the biggest challenges arise from the long measurement times of up to 12 hours together with thermal expansion and contraction of the setup mounting due to the intrinsic temperature gradient of the melt. Here an optimized experimental construction is necessary to enable successful measurements magnetic field measurements with Fluxgate sensors. The experimental data reveal plausible stationary and transient phenomena in accordance with numerical
flow simulations.