The multicell volume of fluid (MC-VOF) method for the free surface simulation of MFD flows. Part II: Experimental verifications and results

Abstract

This second part of a two-part paper presents the experimental verifications of the Multicell Volume of Fluid method developed in the first part. The calculated results are compared with measurements performed for a medium frequency of about 0.4 kHz in an induction crucible furnace, at the low industrial frequency 50 Hz in an inductive rotational stirrer and at higher frequencies of about 30 kHz in an electromagnetic levitation device. Thus, the verifications were realized in these three laboratory setups for different values of the penetration depth of the electromagnetic field and also for different turbulent molten metal flows with one or two free surfaces. The computational results show a good agreement with the experimental data. The established Multicell Volume of Fluid method, characterized by a strictly volume conserving displacement of the free surface, a precisely defined contour of the calculated free surface without the numerical creation of unphysical holes and separated droplets and by calculation stability, will be further extended to the simulation of the more complex flows and free surface profiles resulted by using a new method of electromagnetic levitation melting in two-frequency magnetic fields. © 2011 ISIJ.