Effects of magnetic field on the liquid gallium thermosyphon fluid flow; a numerical study

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to numerically study the laminar natural convection in a thermosyphon filled with liquid gallium exposed to a constant magnetic field. The left wall of the thermosyphon is at an uniformed hot temperature, whereas the right wall is at a uniform cold temperature. The top and bottom walls are considered to be adiabatic. All walls are electrically insulated. The effects of Hartmann number, in a wide range of Rayleigh number and aspect ratio combinations, on the natural convection throughout the thermosyphon, are investigated and discussed. Furthermore, different forces that influence the natural flow structure are studied. Design/methodology/approach A Fortran code is developed based on the finite volume method to solve the two-dimensional unsteady governing equations. Findings Imposing a magnetic field improves the stability of the fluid flow and thus reduces the Nusselt number. For a given Hartmann and Rayleigh number, there is an optimum aspect ratio for which the average velocity becomes maximum. Research limitations/implications This paper is a two-dimensional investigation. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the effect of the magnetic field on natural convection of liquid gallium in the considered thermosyphon has not been studied numerically in detail. The results of this paper would be helpful in considering the application of the low Prandtl number’s liquid metals in thermosyphon MHD generators and certain cooling devices.