Manipulation of Liquid Metal Foam with Electromagnetic Fields: a Numerical Study

Metal foam constitutes a new class of material, offering a unique combination of properties such as low weight, high stiffness and high energy absorption under deformation. Despite excellent properties, metal foam is not yet widely applied. One reason is the difficulty of production controlling. During foam generation, gravity can cause inhomogeneous material properties, leading to coarsening and foam destruction. In this book, the author presents different approaches that allow for controlling and manipulating the production process by means of magnetic and electromagnetic fields. Employing phase-resolving numerical simulations of bubble ascent, bubble agglomeration and drainage, the generation process with and without electromagnetic fields is investigated, quantified and compared.