Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-r6qrq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T07:15:57.674Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Thermoelectric magnetohydrodynamics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 April 2006

J. A. Shercliff
Affiliation:
Department of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry, England

Abstract

Thermoelectric currents in the presence of magnetic fields can cause pumping or stirring of liquid-metal coolants in nuclear reactors or stirring of molten metal in industrial metallurgy. The interaction between the thermal and magnetohydrodynamic fields is a mutual one owing to alterations in the thermal convection and to the Peltier and Thomson effects (although these are usually small). This paper sets up the equations of magnetohydrodynamics and thermal convection when coupled by thermoelectricity and solves some illustrative problems in which the thermal field is known ab initio. Examples where the effects are due to either continuous or discontinuous variation of material composition are included. Practical magnitudes are discussed for the case of a fusion-reactor blanket, where the effects are potentially important owing to the unusual thermoelectric power of lithium.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 1979 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Blatt, F. J., Flood, D. J., Rowe, V., Schroeder, P. A. & Cox, J. E. 1967 Phys. Rev. Lett. 18, 395.
Bradley, C. C. 1962 Phil. Mag. 7, 1337.
Cachard, M. de & Caunes, P. 1969 Thermosyphon à sodium pour irradiation en pile d’éléments combustibles. Centre d'Etudes Nucléaires Grenoble Rep. Pi(R) 472–385–69.Google Scholar
Carter, R., Davidson, A. & Schroeder, P. A. 1970 J. Phys. Chem. Sol. 31, 2374.
Chang, C. C. & Lundgren, T. S. 1961 Duct flow in magnetohydrodynamics. Z. angew. Math Phys. 12, 100.Google Scholar
Cusack, N. & Enderby, J. E. 1958 Proc. Phys. Soc. 72, 898.
Cusack, N. & Enderby, J. E. 1960 Proc. Phys. Soc. 75, 395.
Hancox, R. & Booth, J. A. 1971 The use of liquid lithium as a coolant in a toroidal fusion reactor, Part II: Stress limitations. Culham Lab. Rep. CLM-R116.Google Scholar
Hunt, J. C. R. & Hancox, R. 1971 The use of liquid lithium as a coolant in a toroidal fusion reactor, Part I: Calculation of pumping power. Culham Lab. Rep. CLM-R115.Google Scholar
Hunt, J. C. R. & Shercliff, J. A. 1971 Magnetohydrodynamics at high Hartmann number. Ann. Rev. Fluid Mech. 3, 37.Google Scholar
Ioannides, P., Nguyen, V. T. & Enderby, J. E. 1975 J. Phys. E 8, 315.
Kaye, G. W. C. & Laby, T. H. 1972 Tables of Physical and Chemical Constants, 14th edn. Longmans.
Luebke, E. A. & Vandenberg, L. B. 1954 Compact reactor power plant with combination heat exchanger - thermoelectric pump. Knolls Atomic Power Lab. Rep. May. (See also U.S. Patent 2748710, 5 June 1956.)Google Scholar
Makarov, V. S. & Cherkasskii, A. Kh. 1969 Pressure-consumption characteristic and efficiency of a thermoelectromagnetic pump. Magnitnaya Gidrodinamika 5, 127.Google Scholar
Marwaha, A. S. 1967 Adv. in Phys. 16, 617.
Marwaha, A. S. & Cusack, N. E. 1966 Phys. Lett. 22, 556.
Murgatroyd, W. 1951 Improvements in or relating to heat transfer systems. U.K. Patent Appl. 20911/51.Google Scholar
Osterle, J. F. & Angrist, S. W. 1964 The thermoelectric hydromagnetic pump. Trans. A.S.M.E. C 86, 166.Google Scholar
Perlow, M. A. & Davis, K. A. 1965 The development of the SNAP-10 Thermoelectric pump. Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc. 8, 160. (See also Electrical Rev. 178, 416 (1966.)Google Scholar
Raag, V. & Kowger, H. V. 1965 J. Appl. Phys. 36, 2045.
Rex, VON D. 1961 Thermoelektrische Pumpen für flüssige Metalle. VDI Z. 103, 17.Google Scholar
Roberts, P. H. 1967 Singularities of Hartmann layers. Proc. Roy. Soc. A 300, 94.Google Scholar
Shercliff, J. A. 1975 Some duct flow problems at high Hartmann number. Z. angew. Math. Phys. 26, 538.Google Scholar
Stanbridge, J. R., Carruthers, H. M., Keen, B. A. M. & Shotter, H. A. 1974 Design of stainless steel blanket cells for a fusion reactor. Culham Lab. Rep. CLM-R127.Google Scholar
Woods, L. C. 1975 Thermodynamics of fluid systems. Oxford: Clarendon Press.