Some problems in the magnetohydrodynamics of liquid metals

A review is conducted of the progress made with respect to three prototype problems which are of some importance in molten metal technology. One of the problems is concerned with the generation of rotation in a liquid metal by the application of a rotating magnetic field. This phenomenon was investigated by Braunbeck (1932) with the object of devising a method for the measurement of liquid conductivity. More recent investigations were conducted by Dahlberg (1972), Alemany (1976), and Richardson (1973). Industrial applications of the centrifuging action of a rotating magnetic field are related to the removal of gas bubbles or other contaminants from liquid metals, the provision of stirring action in the metal casting process, and the acceleration of mixing in metallurgical reactions. The other two problems are concerned with the generation of cellular motion by the application of an alternating field of fixed direction and the generation of fluid motion by the injection of steady current at a point electrode on the fluid boundary.