Turbulent recirculating flow in induction furnaces: A comparison of measurements with predictions over a range of operating conditions

Experimental measurements and theoretical predictions are presented concerning the velocity fields, the maps of the turbulent kinetic energy, and the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation in an inductively stirred mercury pool. A single coil arrangement was used, and the frequencies examined ranged from 50 to 5000 Hz. A hot film anemometer and a direction probe were employed for characterizing the velocity fields. The theoretical predictions were based on the numerical solution of the turbulent Navier-Stokes equations. The technique of mutual inductances was employed to compute the magnetic field, while thek-ε model was used for calculating the turbulent viscosity. Overall, the theoretical predictions were in reasonable agreement with the measurements both regarding the velocities and the turbulence parameters. By presenting the results in a normalized, dimensionless form these findings were given a rather broader applicability than the actual numerical range explored. Formerly of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT