Experimental and numerical investigations of the melt flow in channel-induction furnaces

Based on experimental investigations of the three-dimensional turbulent melt flow in channel-induction furnaces the characteristic flow patterns occurring in different zones of the melt channel and the furnace throat are presented. The physical reasons for the generation of the melt flow are analyzed. It is shown that the influence of electrovortical forced melt flow is of weak importance. On the other hand, in both the cross-sectional area of the melt channel as well as in the furnace throat, there exist a typical intensive double-vortex flow pattern which is caused by the interaction of the stray magnetic field with the current induced in the melt. According to developed physical models concerning low-frequency oscillations of these vortices the kinetic energy of the oscillations is estimated and compared to experimental results. When one considers the terms of turbulent kinetic energy additionally generated in that way, the use of an extended k-ε model is valid for an axially symmetrical approximated calculation of the velocity distribution and the kinetic energy of turbulence in the melt channel. The obtained numerical results correspond qualitatively well to the experimental values.