Asymmetry Analysis of the MHD Flow in Sudden Expansion

A numerical study has been done on a liquid metal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) flow for sudden expansion with an expansion ratio of 4. The effect of the magnetic field on the fluid flow asymmetry is investigated. A magnetic field with a fixed value of Hartmann number is applied to understand the effect on the flow asymmetry. The present study mainly focuses on flow asymmetry occurring due to sudden expansion. The study is done at a fixed Hartmann Number of Ha = 5 and different Reynolds numbers ranging from Re = 40 − 80. The flow asymmetry is observed at various values of the Reynolds number (Re). The results of the study suggest that a magnetic field in the direction of the fluid flow reduces the flow asymmetry significantly. The flow becomes completely symmetric at Reynolds number of Re = 55 when Hartmann number is fixed at Ha = 5.