Thermal and flow analysis of a magneto-hydrodynamic micropump

A study of transient fully developed laminar flow and temperature distribution in a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) micropump is presented. The micropump is driven using the Lorentz force which is induced as a result of interaction between an applied electric field and a perpendicular magnetic field. The governing equations are solved analytically by an eigenfunction expansion method, and numerically by a finite-difference (ADI) method. The numerical and analytical results are found to be in good agreement with each other. The effect of different parameters on the transient velocity and temperature, such as aspect ratio, Hartman number, Prandtl number, and Eckert number is studied. The results obtained showed that controlling the flow and the temperature can be achieved by controlling the potential difference, the magnetic flux, and by a good choice of the electrical conductivity.