Natural solutal convection in magnetic fluids: First-order phase transition aspect

Abstract

Concentration stratification of magnetic fluids under the action of external magnetic field can disturb mechanical equilibrium in the system and cause intensive solutal convection. The current paper is devoted to the study of free solutal convection in magnetic fluids undergoing first-order phase transition. Simulation of solutal convection in OpenFOAM package makes it possible to compare numeric results with physical experiment observations. The numeric simulation of convective hydrodynamic flows was carried out in the framework of several theories of first-order phase transition in ferrocolloids. The numerical results are compared with experimental observations in order to choose the theory which predicts most accurately the concentration stratification in magnetic fluids undergoing magneto-controllable first-order phase transition.