Investigation of single bubbles and bubble chains in liquid metal under the influence of magnetic fields


Investigation of single bubbles and bubble chains in liquid metal under the influence of magnetic fields

Strumpf, E.; Eckert, S.

Two-phase flows play an important role in industrial applications, such as the continuous casting of steel. Here, inert gas is injected into the beginning of the submerged entry nozzle to avoid nozzle clogging as well as to catch impurities within the melt and to transport them to the free surface, away from the solidification front. Furthermore electromagnetic brakes are used with the aim to dampen the highly turbulent flow and to reduce high velocities in the liquid metal. Although a vast number of simulations and experiments of bubbly flows in water exist, such investigations in liquid metal still lack quantity. However, liquid metal experiments are unavoidable for a correct modelling of such special cases, like the influence of magnetic fields on the flow or the two-phase flow behavior. In the present study the ascents of single bubbles and of bubble chains in a liquid metal are investigated. For this purpose a benchmark experiment is set up, a cuboid vessel of the dimensions 144 x 144 x 12 mm³, which is filled with eutectic alloy GaInSn. A transversal magnetic field up to 1.1 T is imposed to this vessel. Ultrasound Doppler Velocimetry (UDV) is used to map the flow in the continuous phase of bubble chain regimes as well as the ascent velocity of single bubbles.

Keywords: liquid metal; single bubble; bubble chain; magnetic field; ultrasound

  • Lecture (Conference)
    International Conference on Multiphase Flow (ICMF 2016), 22.-27.05.2016, Firenze, Italia

Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-23653
Publ.-Id: 23653