Effects of contact electrical resistance on the inner surface of a one-side heated vertical pipe on the MHD flow and temperature fluctuations of liquid metal: A numerical study

The paper presents the results of a numerical study of mercury flowing downward in a vertical one-side heated round pipe under a transverse magnetic field. The problem was solved using the LES method in a wall-conjugate formulation by accounting for the physical properties of the pipe wall material and simulating a thin layer of possible contaminants on the pipe inner surface. The performed study revealed the electrical conductivity of the contaminant layer significantly effecting hydraulic resistance, heat exchange intensity, and structure of the flow, as well as the occurrence of quasi-periodic, abnormally high-amplitude temperature fluctuations of liquid and pipe wall. The fields of longitudinal velocity, temperature, and temperature fluctuation oscillograms are provided for various values of dimensionless contact resistance.