Measurements of transient flow fields driven by a discontinuously applied rotating magnetic field

This experimental study considers the transient liquid metal flow which is generated inside a cylindrical container by discontinuously applying a rotating magnetic field (RMF). The focus is on the fluid motion arising from the impulsive spin-up from the resting state, a single pulse or a sequence of RMF pulses. The ultrasonic Doppler velocimetry (UDV) has been used to determine profiles of the fluid velocity in the ternary alloy GaInSn. The azimuthal and vertical velocity components have been measured allowing for an analysis of both the primary, swirling flow and the secondary flow in the radial-meridional plane. The experimental results show an excellent agreement with recently published numerical results. The investigations reveal that the recirculating flow in the radial- meridional plane undergoes characteristic oscillations. Periodic reversals of the meridional flow direction can be observed for a specific length of the RMF pulses.
Our results demonstrate that the utilisation of a time-modulated rotating magnetic field (RMF) offers a considerable potential to provide optimal flow pattern for an efficient melt mixing. For instance, such tailored methods of electromagnetic stirring can be applied during the solidification of metal alloys, where a well-aimed modification of casting properties is achieved by controlling the melt flow in the bulk and adjacent to the solidification front.