The 3D multiphysic model and finite element analysis of conduction electromagnetic pumping system for molten salts

The paper presents a proposition of a DC electromagnetic pump of conduction type for molten salts and describes the process of finite element analysis of its multiphysics model. The subject of molten salts pumping has a technical interest due to the current studies and attempts from the energy industry. Thanks to their good thermal characteristics, molten salts are envisaged in new applications of heat transfer and thermal energy storage as in Concentrated Solar Power and Molten Salt Reactors. In order to consider the two physical phenomena that take place in such a pump, a multiphysics computation is done. There are presented the differential model, conditions for multiphysics, formulation of each problem, model´s geometry, physics and mesh, results in terms of pumping force for a given supply couple current and voltage for the field coils and the two electrodes. The paper includes also parametric studies concerning the pumping force dependence of electrodes voltage supply and of the channel cross section shape at constant area.