Instability in electromagnetically driven flows. II

In a previous paper, we have reported numerical simulations of the magnetohydrodynamic flow driven by a travelling magnetic field in an annular channel, at low Reynolds number. It was shown that the stalling of such induction pump is strongly related to magnetic flux expulsion. In the present article, we show that for larger hydrodynamic Reynolds number, and with more realistic boundary conditions, this instability takes the form of a large axisymmetric vortex flow in the (r, z)-plane, in which the fluid is locally pumped in the direction opposite to the one of the magnetic field. Close to the marginal stability of this vortex flow, a low-frequency pulsation is generated. Finally, these results are compared to theoretical predictions and are discussed within the framework of experimental annular linear induction electromagnetic pumps.