Effect of Magnetic Field on Free Convection in Inclined Cylindrical Annulus Containing Molten Potassium

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulation of natural convection of an electrically conducting fluid under the influence of a magnetic field in an inclined cylindrical annulus has been performed. The inner and outer cylinders are maintained at uniform temperatures and other walls are thermally insulated. The governing equations of this fluid system are solved by a finite volume (FV) code based on SIMPLER solution scheme. Detailed numerical results of heat transfer rate, Lorentz force, temperature and electric fields have been presented for a wide range of Hartmann number (0 ≤ Ha ≤ 60) and inclination angle (0 ≤ γ ≤ 90). The results indicate that a magnetic field can control the magnetic convection of an electrically conducting fluid. Depending on the direction and strength of the magnetic field, the suppression of convective motion was observed. For vertical cylindrical annulus, increasing the strength of the magnetic field causes the loss symmetry, and as the consequence, isotherms lose their circular shape. With increasing the Hartmann number the average Nusselt number approaches a constant value. For vertical annulus, the effect of Hartmann number on the average Nusselt number is not prominent compared to the case of horizontal annulus.