Magnetic field effects on liquid metal free convection

International audienceWe provide a numerical analysis of three-dimensional free convection of a liquid in a Rayleigh-Bénard configuration,subject to a steady and uniform magnetic field, using the finite volume code Jadim. The influence of the Hartmann andRayleigh numbers are studied. We compare our results to several experimental works. As suggested by previousexperiments, the magnetic field tends to lower the heat transfer at the walls. This is caused by a significant alteration ofthe flow structures, due to the Lorentz force. For slightly overcritical Rayleigh numbers, two-dimensional rolls appearbut the flow structure rapidly becomes three-dimensional as we increase the Rayleigh number. The magnetic field tendsto destroy those structures and the transition to a 3D flow is delayed to higher values of the Rayleigh number, when theHartmann number is increased. We show that the averaged heat transfer at the walls decreases, although it remains ofthe same order of magnitude. However the local structure of heat transfer is altered

Nanoscale deformation of a liquid surface

We study the interaction between a solid particle and a liquid interface. A semianalytical solution of the nonlinear equation that describes the interface deformation points out the existence of a bifurcation behavior for the apex deformation as a function of the distance. We show that the apex curvature obeys a simple power-law dependency on the deformation. Relationships between physical parameters disclose the threshold distance at which the particle can approach the liquid before capillarity provokes a "jump to contact". A prediction of the interface original position before deformation takes place, as well as the attraction force measured by an approaching probe, are produced. The results of our analysis agree with the force curves obtained from atomic force microscopy experiments over a liquid puddle

The effect of α\mathsf{\alpha}, β\mathsf{\beta} crystalline structure on the mechanical properties of polypropylene

In order to study the effect of the $\alpha, \beta$ crystalline structure of polypropylene (PP) on its mechanical properties, it is necessary to prepare samples with variable $\alpha$/$\beta$-phase content but with constant crystallinity and constant spherulite size. With this objective, heat treatment was first defined to be applied to an isotactic PP containing a $\beta$ nucleating agent in order to achieve these conditions. Then study of the effect of the $\beta$-phase content on the tensile properties and fracture behaviour has been done at room temperature. The mechanical properties at fracture were assessed by three-point bending tests and were analysed on the basis of the "Essential Work of Fracture"(EWF). The results show that the elongation at fracture under tensile stress and the "near" Plane-Strain Essential Work of Fracture, $w_\mathrm{{I}{e}}$, increase substantially with the $\beta$-phase content. Besides, Young's modulus and the yield stress in tensile tests decrease slowly with the $\beta$-phase content. Finally, these results are analysed taking account the differences in structure of the $\alpha$ and $\beta$ spherulites

Influence of surface and bulk structures of acrylic PSA films onto their tack properties

PSA films are obtained by coalescence of latices synthesized by free-radical emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (EHA). For the same overall 50/50 molar composition, the polymer particles have well-defined structures when the feed composition and the feed mode (using batch or semicontinuous processes) are adjusted. The characterizations of the film structures by surface (tapping mode AFM) and bulk (DSC, rheology) analyses argue for the conservation of the initial particle structure when coalescence occurs. The influence of the chemical heterogeneity on the tack properties of the films is investigated to extend the study of these original acrylic PSA films up to relevant structure-property correlations

Bubble detection in liquid metal by perturbation of eddy currents: model and experiments

A model has been developed to predict the response of an eddy current flow meter (ECFM) to the passage of a non-conductive inclusion moving in a cylindrical tube filled with a liquid metal. The model can be solved analytically for small inclusion diameters and moderate AC frequencies of the excitation signal. This condition is expressed as vbSω≪1, where vb is the dimensionless inclusion volume and Sω is a function of the ratio between the characteristic length of the system and the penetration depth of the magnetic field. The magnetic induction equation for this problem has also been solved numerically. A very good agreement between the analytical model and numerical solutions has been found for vbSω≪1. Two experimental setups have been designed. First, the ECFM model has been validated by comparing the response due to the passage of traveling beads of known diameters in a low melting point alloy. In a second experiment, the diameters of ascending argon bubbles have been estimated with the ECFM model. The numerical model predicts the gas volume with very good accuracy in the range of bubble diameters studied, between 1.5 and 6 mm, while the analytical model only deviates significantly from the experimental data when vbSω≳0.1. Moreover, we establish that the ECFM can also measure the radial deviation of the bubble trajectory, and the results are consistent with the theoretical limit for isolated bubbles between the regimes of oscillating/zigzag motion of ellipsoidal bubbles and non-oscillating motion of spherical bubbles. Another observation is that the dependence of the ECFM response on the shape of the bubble is negligible; indeed, the ECFM response is well approximated by a linear relation with the bubble volume as is assumed in the analytical model. Finally, an estimation of the terminal rising velocity of bubbles was also carried out