NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC PRESSURE DROP IN A CURVED BEND UNDER DIFFERENT CONDITIONS

Abstract

This paper presents a detailed study of liquid-metal flow in a curved bend, under the conditions, when the liquid metal flows first parallel and then perpendicular to the magnetic field, while a constant magnetic field also acts in the transverse direction. The duct has conducting vanadium walls, and liquid metals (lithium, sodium, potassium) have been used as coolants. Magneto hydrodynamic (MHD) equations have been developed in three dimensions in the modified toroidal coordinate system. These coupled sets of equations then have been solved using finite difference techniques and an extended SIMPLER algorithm approach. Calculation of MHD pressure drop has been made for three different liquid metals, lithium, sodium and potassium. The results for curved bend indicate an immense axial MHD pressure drop. The axial MHD pressure drop increases for an increase in both kinds of magnetic field for all three liquid metals. It is found that the MHD pressure drop increases as the liquid metal flows more and more transverse to the magnetic field. The MHD pressure drop is found to be maximum for sodium and minimum for lithium.