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In a previous paper, we have reported numerical simulations of the magnetohydrodynamic flow driven by a travelling magnetic field in an annular channel, at low Reynolds number. It was shown that the stalling of such induction pump is strongly related to magnetic flux expulsion. In the present article, we show that for larger hydrodynamic Reynolds number, and with more realistic boundary conditions, this instability takes the form of a large axisymmetric vortex flow in the (r, z)-plane, in which the fluid is locally pumped in the direction opposite to the one of the magnetic field. Close to the marginal stability of this vortex flow, a low-frequency pulsation is generated. Finally, these results are compared to theoretical predictions and are discussed within the framework of experimental annular linear induction electromagnetic pumps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetohydrodynamic flow driven by a travelling magnetic field in an annular channel is investigated numerically. For sufficiently large magnetic Reynolds number Rm, or if a large enough pressure gradient is externally applied, the system undergoes an instability in which the flow rate in the channel dramatically drops from synchronism with the wave to much smaller velocities. This transition takes the form of a saddle-node bifurcation for the time-averaged quantities. In this first paper, we characterize the bifurcation and study the stability of the flow as a function of several parameters. We show that the bifurcation of the flow involves a bistability between Poiseuille-like and Hartman-like regimes and relies on magnetic flux expulsion. Based on this observation, new predictions are made for the occurrence of this stalling instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]