Linear stability analysis and direct numerical simulations are conducted to analyse mixed convection in a liquid metal flow in a horizontal pipe with imposed transverse magnetic field. The pipe walls are electrically insulated and subject to constant flux heating in the lower half. The results reveal the nature of anomalous temperature fluctuations detected in earlier experiments. It is found that, at the magnetic field strength far exceeding the laminarization threshold, the natural convection develops in the form of coherent quasi-two-dimensional rolls aligned with the magnetic field. Transport of the rolls by the mean flow causes high-amplitude, low-frequency fluctuations of temperature.

We propose a new activity on verification and validation (V&V) of MHD codes presently employed by the fusion community as a predictive capability tool for liquid metal cooling applications, such as liquid metal blankets. The important steps in the development of MHD codes starting from the 1970s are outlined first and then basic MHD codes, which are currently in use by designers of liquid breeder blankets, are reviewed. A benchmark database of five problems has been proposed to cover a wide range of MHD flows from laminar fully developed to turbulent flows, which are of interest for fusion applications: (A) 2D fully developed laminar steady MHD flow, (B) 3D laminar, steady developing MHD flow in a non-uniform magnetic field, (C) quasitwo-dimensional MHD turbulent flow, (D) 3D turbulent MHD flow, and (E) MHD flow with heat transfer (buoyant convection). Finally, we introduce important details of the proposed activities, such as basic V&V rules and schedule. The main goal of the present paper is to help in establishing an efficient V&V framework and to initiate benchmarking among interested parties. The comparison results computed by the codes against analytical solutions and trusted experimental and numerical data as well as code-to-code comparisons will be presented and analyzed in companion paper/papers.

An imposed strong magnetic field suppresses turbulence and profoundly changes the nature of the flow of an electrically conducting fluid. We consider this effect for the case of mixed convection flows in pipes and ducts, in which unique regimes characterized by extreme temperature gradients and high-amplitude fluctuations (the so-called magnetoconvective fluctuations) have been recently discovered. The configuration is directly relevant to the design of the liquid-metal components of future nuclear fusion reactors. This review presents the general picture of the flow transformation emerging from the recent studies, illustrates the key known facts, and outlines the remaining open questions. Implications for fusion reactor technology and novel experimental and numerical methods are also discussed.

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