MHD stability of large scale liquid metal batteries

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to develop a stability theory and a numerical model for the three density-stratified electrically conductive liquid layers. Using regular perturbation methods to reduce the full 3d problem to the shallow layer model, the coupled wave and electric current equations are derived. The problem set-up allows the weakly non-linear velocity field action and an arbitrary vertical magnetic field. Further linearisation of the coupled equations is used for the linear stability analysis in the case of uniform vertical magnetic field. New analytical stability criteria accounting for the viscous damping are derived for particular cases of practical interest and compared to the numerical solutions for variety of materials used in the batteries. The new criteria are equally applicable to the aluminium electrolysis cell MHD stability estimates.