Influence of streamwise and spanwise wall magnet arrays on near-wall MHD turbulence

ABSTRACT The effect of a permanent, localised and non-uniform magnetic field on the near-wall turbulence in a fully developed channel flow is analysed through direct numerical simulations. The magnetic field distribution is obtained by an arrangement of magnets placed on the upper and lower channel walls, producing preferentially either a streamwise (i.e. in the main flow direction) or a spanwise magnetic field component. The wall shear stress is drastically reduced under the effect of the streamwise arrangement of the wall magnets wherein both streamwise and wall-normal magnetic fields are involved. The magnetic braking effect leads to an important increase of the body force. Paradoxically enough, the small-scale turbulent activity is significantly increased above the low buffer layer in this case. On the opposite, imposing a magnetic field with a predominant spanwise component reduces tremendously the population of the turbulent shear stress producing eddies by directly affecting the regeneration of the buffer layer quasi-streamwise vortices. The flow is quasi-relaminarised between the magnets in the low-buffer and viscous sublayers. The wall shear increases in a predictable and deterministic way over the magnets, wherein the wall normal magnetic field component induces electric current loops.