Abstract
To support innovation in aluminum melt treatment research, a pilot-scale modular liquid metal loop, capable of holding up to 200 kg of metal, has been designed and constructed to replicate melt treatment processes under controlled conditions. As the first stage in systematic benchmarking and evaluation of the loop, the performance of the permanent magnet pump (PMP) was evaluated through Lorentz force and Joule heating measurements conducted on aluminum billets. Force measurements were found to scale linearly with the rotational frequency of the pump and decrease with distance in accordance with the governing equations. For Joule heating, neither distance nor frequency trends reflected theoretical predictions, and unaccounted-for effects, such as the penetration depth of an AC magnetic field, are suspected to be responsible. The Joule heating deviations, while meriting further investigation for industrial melt stirring and control, do not impede loop commissioning. These results demonstrate the modular liquid metal loop’s suitability for academic to industrial investigation of aluminum melt processes and recycling phenomena.