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Main Authors: Jiang, Xinyi, You, Chenyu, Nan, Xinning, Chang, Jiawei, Wang, Zenghui
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.07426
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author Jiang, Xinyi
You, Chenyu
Nan, Xinning
Chang, Jiawei
Wang, Zenghui
author_facet Jiang, Xinyi
You, Chenyu
Nan, Xinning
Chang, Jiawei
Wang, Zenghui
contents We investigated the low Prandtl number Rayleigh-Bénard (RB) system with a melting top boundary under horizontal magnetic fields. This study is crucial to gain physical insights into the melting dynamics of thermal storage systems, which will help in controlling them. A three-dimensional solid-liquid phase change Rayleigh-Bénard system of gallium was numerically simulated using the enthalpy-porosity method in a cubic domain. In the absence of a magnetic field, the melting process was clearly divided into four regimes: conduction, stable growth, coarsening, and chaotic regimes. We analyzed the flow and heat transfer characteristics in each regime and established scaling relations for the Nusselt number and liquid fraction. Under horizontal magnetic fields, a quasi-two-dimensional (Q2D) flow pattern was observed. We further examined the effects of magnetic field strength on different melting regimes. With increasing Hartmann number, a new flow mode emerged during the stable growth regime. The results also show that the magnetic field alters the relative duration of each melting regime in the overall melting process.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_07426
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Effect of a horizontal magnetic field on the melting of low Prandtl number liquid metal in a phase-change Rayleigh-Bénard system
Jiang, Xinyi
You, Chenyu
Nan, Xinning
Chang, Jiawei
Wang, Zenghui
Fluid Dynamics
We investigated the low Prandtl number Rayleigh-Bénard (RB) system with a melting top boundary under horizontal magnetic fields. This study is crucial to gain physical insights into the melting dynamics of thermal storage systems, which will help in controlling them. A three-dimensional solid-liquid phase change Rayleigh-Bénard system of gallium was numerically simulated using the enthalpy-porosity method in a cubic domain. In the absence of a magnetic field, the melting process was clearly divided into four regimes: conduction, stable growth, coarsening, and chaotic regimes. We analyzed the flow and heat transfer characteristics in each regime and established scaling relations for the Nusselt number and liquid fraction. Under horizontal magnetic fields, a quasi-two-dimensional (Q2D) flow pattern was observed. We further examined the effects of magnetic field strength on different melting regimes. With increasing Hartmann number, a new flow mode emerged during the stable growth regime. The results also show that the magnetic field alters the relative duration of each melting regime in the overall melting process.
title Effect of a horizontal magnetic field on the melting of low Prandtl number liquid metal in a phase-change Rayleigh-Bénard system
topic Fluid Dynamics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.07426