Numerical study of single droplet impact onto liquid metal film under a uniform magnetic field

The impact of a three-dimensional drop onto a film of the same electrically conducting liquid, such as a molten metal, is numerically investigated. The emphasis is put on the influence of an externally applied magnetic field. A Volume-of-Fluid method combined with an Adaptive Mesh Refinement technique is applied for the interface tracking, while a consistent and conservative scheme is adopted for the computation of the induced current density and Lorentz force. A particular attention is paid to the liquid splashing during the occurrence of the impact, whose duration is of the order of 10−3 s. The main properties of the splashing are closely related to the initial droplet velocity, while the fluid flow pattern is also dependent on the film thickness. The influence of the magnetic field depends on its direction and strength. As expected, it is shown that a vertical magnetic field dampens the flow, while the horizontal one yields a significant deviation from axisymmetry. It is found that the vertical magnetic field constrains the spluttering flow, reduces the crown diameter, and tends to suppress it. When the Hartmann number is very large (above 103) the crown disappears and a slowly decreasing bulge is formed. In the presence of a horizontal magnetic field, the splashing behaviour is less modified, and the classic t12 law for the increase of the crown radius remains valid. However, in the magnetic field direction the crown growth is reduced, as well as the upward motion and the ejection of secondary droplets, whereas in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the magnetic field the crown development is only slightly affected.