Flow control in bubble-driven liquid metal flows by means of external magnetic fields

In our experiments we investigated the consequences of an application of both DC and AC magnetic fields on the velocity field of bubble plumes. A restructuring of the entire flow field can be observed if a bubble plume is exposed to a DC magnetic field. The application of a transverse field leads not only to a general damping of the flow, but also favours the occurrence of vortices aligned parallel to the magnetic field direction. AC magnetic fields can be applied to generate flow structures being different from the recirculating flow known from classical bubble plumes. A tailoring of the flow using magnetic fields obviously allows a control of the heat and mass transfer in bubble plumes.