Application of magnetically driven tornado-like vortex for stirring floating particles into liquid metal

I. Grants - D. Räbiger - T. Vogt - S. Eckert - G. Gerbeth

Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstr. 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany

Abstract
A tornado-like liquid metal vortex is driven by magnetic body forces. A continuously applied rotating magnetic field provides a source of the angular momentum. A pulse of a much stronger travelling magnetic field drives a converging flow that temporarily focuses this angular momentum towards the axis of the container. A highly concentrated vortex forms that produces a funnel-shaped surface depression. The ability of this vortex to entrain floating unwetted particles in liquid metal is investigated experimentally. Figs 3, Refs 6.