Hydrodynamics and exchange of heat in thin liquid-metal layers within a magnetic field

The authors examine the flow and exchange of heat for a liquid metal in a chute of rectangular lateral cross section within a coplanar magnetic field. An integral method was used in previous work to derive the equation for the shape of the free film surface, in good agreement with previous experimental data. However, the parabolic velocity profile u(x, y) = A(x)y2 + B(x)y used in this case is inadequate to describe the hydrodynamics of the flows and may lead to significant error in the calculations of the heat and mass exchange processes. In the present study the authors have derived an analytical solution for the velocity profile and the normal depth of the flow, in addition to which they present results from numerical studies of motion in the nonsteady flow segment and the exchange of heat within a system of liquid-metal shielding of the diverter plates of a thermonuclear reactor. 5 refs., 6 figs