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Magnetic levitation of liquid metals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 April 2006

A. J. Mestel
A. J. Mestel
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Silver Street, Cambridge
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Abstract

The process of levitation melting of metals is examined analytically and numerically for the case of axisymmetric toroidal high-frequency currents. The governing equations for the mean-velocity field and associated free-surface shape are derived under the assumption of low magnetic Reynolds number and the neglect of thermal effects. The form of the solution for high Reynolds number is discussed in general, and particularized to the case of high surface tension, in which limit a perturbation analysis about a spherical shape is presented. Finite-difference techniques are used to solve the Navier–Stokes equations in the sphere, and the surface perturbation is calculated. The asymptotic behaviour of the potential vorticity is illustrated by the numerical experiments.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 117 , April 1982 , pp. 27 - 43
Copyright
© 1982 Cambridge University Press

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