3D simulation of plane induction electromagnetic pump for the supply of liquid Al–Si alloys during casting

The distribution and evolution of the magnetic flux, the induced current and the electromagnetic force in liquid A356 alloy in the pump ditch were revealed by the transient analysis. The magnetic flux was mainly along the height direction of the pump ditch and changed direction every interval of half cycle (T/2). The induced current formed two or three groups of swirl rings alternately along the length direction (X) of the pump ditch. The electromagnetic force contained the effective component (FMAGX) along +X direction and the invalid component that was centrosymmetric along the width direction of the pump ditch, and its change cycle was T/2. The magnetic flux, the induced current and the electromagnetic force all traveled along +X direction periodically. The effects of electromagnetic and structural design parameters on FMAGX and the pump height (ΔH) of the pump were obtained by the harmonic analysis. FMAGX and ΔH increased nearly linear with the frequency while decreased significantly with the magnetic gap, and they were proportional to the square of the current. FMAGX increased with the width (b) and the height (h) of the pump ditch, and ΔH first increased and later decreased with b while decreased monotonically with h.