Design and calibration of permanent magnet probes for the local measurement of velocity and temperature in a liquid metal backward facing step flow

The simultaneous and local measurement of velocity and the temperature of a non-isothermal liquid metal flow has been an ongoing research topic over decades. The motivation is to obtain a detailed panorama of a liquid metal flow for the validation of turbulent heat flux models. So-called permanent magnet probes were used in the past for the local measurement of velocity and temperature profiles in liquid sodium in rather canonical flow configurations. The next step is to measure velocity and temperature profiles in a more complex flow geometry, namely a vertical confined backward facing step. For this, the permanent magnet probe must be adapted regarding its design, calibration procedure and temperature correction method. Particularly, considering that for this experiment the eutectic alloy of gallium, indium and tin was used as a working fluid, instead of liquid sodium, as in the mentioned past experiments. The main design aspects for a permanent magnet probe found in the literature are summarized and applied to the present probe. A calibration strategy for the probe was developed and implemented for the measurement of mean velocity profiles. A wetting procedure for the probe is proposed. The measured probe sensitivity for all six used probes agrees well with the theoretical estimations. The highest uncertainty contribution to measured sensitivity is related to the typical wetting issues of gallium–indium–tin. Future implementation of permanent magnet probes in general gallium–indium–tin experiments can make use of the developed know-how shared in this work.