Title: Aerial flow in a vertical cylindrical container with thermal gradient under a vertical magnetic field

Authors: Masato Akamatsu, Mitsuo Higano, Hiroyuki Ozoe

Addresses: Faculty of Systems Science and Technology, Akita Prefectural University, 84-4 Tsuchiya-Ebinokuchi, Honjo, Akita 015-0055, Japan. ' Faculty of Systems Science and Technology, Akita Prefectural University, 84-4 Tsuchiya-Ebinokuchi, Honjo, Akita 015-0055, Japan. ' Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University, Kasuga-Koen 6-1, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580, Japan

Abstract: This study focuses on how magnetising force affects the convection of air in a vertical cylindrical container with thermal and magnetic field gradients in non-gravitational and gravitational fields. The model systems with three different thermal boundary conditions are considered in the present work and numerical computations were carried out by changing the relative location of an electric coil and container. In a non-gravitational field, the aerial flow was induced by the magnetising force. On the other hand, in a gravitational field, the air was driven by both gravitational and magnetising forces. In both fields, flow pattern and heat transfer rate greatly depended on the axial location of the electric coil. Under the specific numerical condition, the pulsating flow was observed by the coupling of gravitational and magnetising forces. These phenomena could be successfully explained by visualising the field of magnetising force and considering the mass magnetic susceptibility of air according to Curie|s law.

Keywords: magnetising force; gravitational force; natural convection; paramagnetic fluid; air convection; gravitational field; non-gravitational field; cylindrical container; numerical computation; thermal gradient; vertical magnetic field; thermal boundary conditions; aerial flow; heat transfer; fluid flow; pulsating flow; vertical cylinder.

DOI: 10.1504/PCFD.2005.006758

Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal, 2005 Vol.5 No.3/4/5, pp.236 - 244

Published online: 05 Apr 2005 *

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