Separation of species of a binary fluid mixture confined in a channel in presence of a strong transverse magnetic field

Abstract

Effects of a transverse magnetic field on separation of a binary mixture of incompressible viscous thermally and electrically conducting fluids confined between two stationary parallel plates are examined. Both the plates are maintained at constant temperatures. It is assumed that one of the components, which is rarer and lighter, is present in the mixture in a very small quantity. The equations governing the motion, temperature and concentration in Cartesian coordinate are solved analytically. The solution obtained for concentration distribution is plotted against the width of the channel for various values of non-dimensional parameters. It is found that the effect of transverse magnetic field is to separate the species of rarer and lighter component by contributing its effect directly to the temperature gradient and the pressure gradient. The effects of increase in the values of Hartmann number, magnetic Reynolds number, barodiffusion number, thermal diffusion number, electric field parameter and the product of Prandtl number and Eckert number are to collect the rarer and lighter component near the upper plate and throw away the heavier component towards the lower plate. The problem discussed here derives its application in the basic fluid dynamics separation processes to separate the rare component of the different isotopes of heavier molecules where electromagnetic method of separation does not work.