Experimental and numerical investigation on particle-induced liquid metal flow using Lorentz force velocimetry

Abstract

The dynamics of electrically non-conducting particles in liquid meal flow are of interest in a number of metallurgical processes. For instance, during continuous casting of steel, proper removal of slag particles interacting with mold flow is crucial for the quality of the product. However, as such flows are very complex, analyzing single effects are almost impossible. Therefore, we investigate experimentally a simplified configuration where spherical particles of known size are pulled in the vertical direction with a controlled speed at a given position through a liquid metal column initially at rest. As a test melt we use the alloy GaInSn in eutectic composition which is liquid at room temperature. The displacement flow induced by the particle movement is measured using Lorentz force velocimetry. This method is based on recording the flow-induced force acting on an externally arranged permanent magnet. In the present paper we extend earlier work by analyzing not only the drag force in the direction of the particle movement but also the lift force acting in the horizontal direction. Moreover, we use an improved signal processing routine that allows us to perform measurements at higher particle Reynolds numbers. The experimental results are in both quantitatively and qualitatively agreement with the predictions of numerical simulations using the commercial code ANSYS/FLUENT.