Nonaxisymmetric instabilities in turbulent electromagnetic pumps

TL;DR

This study uses 3D simulations to explore how electromagnetic pump flows become unstable and develop non-axisymmetric patterns, revealing secondary bifurcations, efficiency limits, and complex vortex dynamics.

Contribution

It demonstrates that non-axisymmetric instabilities arise as secondary bifurcations from stalled flows and establishes an upper efficiency limit of 50% for electromagnetic pumps.

Findings

Non-axisymmetric states emerge from secondary bifurcations.

Efficiency of the pump cannot exceed 50%.

Complex vortex oscillations occur in optimized configurations.

Abstract

The stability of annular electromagnetic pumps (EMPs) is investigated through 3D direct numerical simulations. When induction effects dominate dissipative processes, linear induction EMPs become unstable and lead to non-axisymmetric states relatively different from what was predicted by previous theoretical models. We show that the 3D destabilization of the flow is deeply connected to the axisymmetric state, and always appears as a secondary bifurcation from a locally stalled flow, even if the applied magnetic field is axisymmetric. Finally, we model a configuration aiming to optimize the efficiency of the pump, by imposing electrical currents on both sides (inner and outer cylinders) of the pump. This configuration increases the efficiency of the pump, but generates a complex dynamics, associated to periodic oscillation of a large vortex flow localized in the active region of the pump. Finally, we demonstrate the existence of an upper bound on the efficiency of such electromagnetic pump, which can never exceed 50%.