Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Discontinuous Flow of Molten Sn in an Electromagnetic Pump and Investigation of Effective Parameters on Flow Geometry

Melt conductivity of metals makes it possible to apply force directly to the melt by electromagnetic forces. The movement of melt performs without using any mechanical parts, and it also reduces the risk of corrosion of metal parts in contact with molten metals. In this research, a discontinuous molten flow is generated from a designed nozzle, and after a cooling process, the droplets convert to metal powders or granules. In this pump, drop-on-demand formation is based on eddy currents and alternating electromagnetic forces inside the melt. The most important effective parameters in the induction coil are the current, voltage, and frequency. In order to control the operation of the pump, it is necessary to understand its effects and to find the optimal conditions. The results of studies show that the most effective parameter affecting the number of drops released per unit of time is the voltage of the coil and then the frequency and finally the pulse on time. In this project, by studying various effective parameters, a device was designed to generate molten droplets. The results showed at the voltage of 280 v, pulse-On time of 1.5 ms, and also by increasing frequency from 5 to 20 Hz, the number of droplets increased from 144 to 246 drops. The highest number of drop outputs occurred at the frequency of 20 Hz, Voltage of 280 v, and pulse-On time of 1.5 milliseconds.