Effect of magnetic field on 3D flow and heat transfer during solidification from a melt

We present the effect of a magnetic field on three-dimensional fluid flow and heat transfer during solidification from a melt in a cubic enclosure. The walls of the enclosure are considered perfectly electrically conducting and the magnetic field is applied separately in three directions. The finite-volume method with enthalpy formulation is used to solve the mathematical model in the solid and liquid phases. The results obtained by our computer code are compared with the numerical and experimental data found in the literature. For Gr = 5 × 105 and Ha = 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 (where Gr and Ha are the Grashof and Hartmann numbers, respectively), the effects of magnetic field on flow and thermal fields, and on solid/liquid interface shape are presented and discussed. The interface is localized with and without magnetic field. The results show a strong dependence between the interface shape and the intensity and orientation of magnetic field. When the magnetic field is applied along the X-direction, the magnetic stability diagrams (Vmax–Ha) and (Nuavg–Ha) show the strongest stabilization of the flow field and heat transfer.