Liquid-metal magnetohydrodynamics with strong magnetic fields: a report on Euromech 70

This paper is a summary of the first Euromech Colloquium to be held on Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). It was organized in conjunction with the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and held at Grenoble from 16–19 March 1976 with 60 participants from 10 countries present. Papers were presented on laminar and turbulent MHD duct flows; heat transfer and two-phase flows in MHD; the effects of magnetic fields on instabilities and turbulence; the motion of and forces on solid objects in MHD flows; flow-measurement methods, and applications of MHD in the metallurgical industries, in sodium technology and in liquid-metal power generation. Our main conclusion is that there are many industrial applications of the existing body of research findings in MHD, but that quite new research problems have arisen as a result of the new applications, and that these need investigation. MHD lives!