Magneto-convective fluctuation during downward flow of liquid metal in a heated pipe in a transverse magnetic field

Abstract

Abstract An imposed strong magnetic field suppresses turbulence and profoundly changes the nature of the flow of an electrically conducting fluid. We consider this effect for the case of mixed convection flows in pipes and ducts, in which unique regimes characterized by extreme temperature gradients and high-amplitude fluctuations (the so-called magnetoconvective fluctuations) have been recently discovered. The configuration is directly relevant to the design of the liquid-metal components of future nuclear fusion reactors. This work presents the general picture of the flow transformation emerging from the recent numerical studies (DNS - Direct Numerical Simulation), illustrates the key known facts, and outlines the remaining open questions. Implications for fusion reactor technology and novel experimental and numerical methods are also discussed.