Alberto Beltran

Induced electric current-based formulation in computations of low magnetic Reynolds number magnetohydrodynamic flows

We use the induced electric current as the main electromagnetic variable to compute low magnetic Reynolds number magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows. The equation for the induced electric current is derived by taking the curl of the induction equation and using Amperes law. Boundary conditions on the induced electric current are derived at the interface between the liquid and the thin conducting wall by considering the current loop closing in the wall and the adjacent liquid. These boundary conditions at the liquid-solid interface include the Robin boundary condition for the wall-normal component of the current and an additional equation for the wall potential to compute the tangential current component. The suggested formulation (denominated j-formulation) is applied to three common types of MHD wall-bounded flows by implementing the finite-difference technique: (i) high Hartmann number fully developed flows in a rectangular duct with conducting walls; (ii) quasi-two-dimensional duct flow in the entry into a magnet; and (iii) flow past a magnetic obstacle. Comparisons have been performed against the traditional formulation based on the induced magnetic field (B-formulation), demonstrating very good agreement.

A conjugate thermo-electric model for a composite medium.

Electrical transmission signals have been used for decades to characterize the internal structure of composite materials. We theoretically analyze the transmission of an electrical signal through a composite material which consists of two phases with different chemical compositions. We assume that the temperature of the biphasic system increases as a result of Joule heating and its electrical resistivity varies linearly with temperature; this last consideration leads to simultaneously study the electrical and thermal effects. We propose a nonlinear conjugate thermo-electric model, which is solved numerically to obtain the current density and temperature profiles for each phase. We study the effect of frequency, resistivities and thermal conductivities on the current density and temperature. We validate the prediction of the model with comparisons with experimental data obtained from rock characterization tests.

Numerical Simulation of the Flow Past a Pair of Magnetic Obstacles

We present a quasi-two-dimensional numerical simulation of the flow of a thin layer of electrolyte past a pair of localized Lorentz forces, named magnetic obstacles, placed side by side. Opposing Lorentz forces are produced by the interaction of the magnetic field created by a pair of small permanent magnets and a D.C. current applied tranversally to the main flow. By varying the separation between the magnets and the intensity of the applied current, different flow regimes are analyzed. The attention is focused on the interference of the wakes created by the magnetic obstacles.

Flow in Rectangular Cavities With Two Vertical Oscillating Walls

Fluid dynamics in a two-dimensional rectangular cavity with vertical oscillatory walls out of phase was studied numerically. The Navier-Stokes equations were solved using the finite element method. We analyzed the behaviour of the velocity fields, the vorticity fields and we also obtained the streaklines of the fluid at the bottom left corner of the domain for one and two cycles, which is associated with the mixing of the fluid. The analysis was carried out for three different Reynolds numbers of 50, 500 and 1000 with constant displacement amplitude of the moving boundaries of 0.2. For this range of parameters the flow is characterized by two kind of symmetries. We found that for lower Reynolds number there is a good local mixing given by cell structures and the smooth behavior of the fluid inside the cavity; however for higher Reynolds number these structures disappear due to the fluid near the vertical walls impinges against the corner of the cavity, then this fluid is dispersed through the whole cavity during the cycle, increasing the global mixing of the fluid.Copyright

Instabilities in the flow past localized magnetic fields

The flow in a shallow layer of an electrically conducting fluid past a localized magnetic field is analyzed numerically. The field occupies only a small fraction of the total flow domain and resemblances the magnetic field created by a permanent magnet located close to the fluid layer. Two different physical cases are considered. In the first one, the fluid layer is free from externally injected electric currents, therefore, only induced currents are present. In the second case, an external electric current is injected to the fluid layer, transversally to the main flow direction. It is shown that the Lorentz force created by the interaction of the electric currents with the non-uniform magnetic field acts as an obstacle for the flow and creates different flow patterns similar to those observed in the flow past bluff bodies. A quasi-two-dimensional model that takes into account the existence of the bottom wall through a linear Hartmann-Rayleigh friction term is considered. When inertial and magnetic forces are strong enough, the wake formed behind the zone of high magnetic field is destabilized and a periodic vortex shedding similar to the classical von Karman street is found. The effect of Hartmann-Rayleigh friction in the emergence of the instability is analyzed.