Numerical insights into magnetic dynamo action in a turbulent regime

Abstract

We report on hybrid numerical simulations of a turbulent magnetic dynamo. The simulated set-up mimics the Riga dynamo experiment characterized by Re ≈3.5 × 106 and 15 ≤ Rem ≤ 20 (Gailitis et al 2000 Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 4365-8). The simulations were performed by a simultaneous fully coupled solution of the transient Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (T-RANS) equations for the fluid velocity and turbulence field, and the direct numerical solution (DNS) of the magnetic induction equations. This fully integrated hybrid T-RANS/DNS approach, applied in the finite-volume numerical framework with a multi-blockstructured nonorthogonal geometry-fitted computational mesh, reproduced the mechanism of self-generation of a magnetic field in close accordance with the experimental records. In addition to the numerical confirmation of the Riga findings, the numerical simulations provided detailed insights into the temporal and spatial dynamics of flow, turbulence and electromagnetic fields and their reorganization due to mutual interactions, revealing the full four-dimensional picture of a dynamo action in the turbulent regime under realistic working conditions. © IOP Publishing Ltd and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft.