Pressure Drop of Magnetohydrodynamic Two-Phase Annular Flow in Rectangular Channel

Abstract

Numerical calculations have been performed on magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) two-phase annular flow in a rectangular channel with a small aspect ratio, i.e. a small ratio of the channel side perpendicular to the applied magnetic field and the side parallel to the field. Results of the present calculation agree nearly with Inoue et al.'s experimental results in the region of large liquid Reynolds numbers and large Hartmann numbers. Calculation results also show that the pressure drop ratio, i.e. the ratio of pressure drop of two-phase flow to that of single-phase flow under the same liquid flow rate and applied magnetic field, becomes lower than ∼0.02 for conditions of a fusion reactor plant.