The paper studies specific pumping characteristics of the Annular Linear Induction Pumps (ALIP) with travelling field for liquid sodium. The present work is focused on the analysis of very large electromagnetic pumps able to provide high flow rates. The magnetic Reynolds number is quite large, therefore, it is necessary to take into account the full magnetohydrodynamic interaction between the electromagnetic field and the liquid metal flow inside pump channel. We couple the electromagnetic aspects with the hydrodynamic ones by means of two commercial softwares. The geometry considered here is 2D axisymmetric. It is found that in such induction pumps the effect of convection is very important. Two main effects have been put forth. Firstly, due to the magnetic entrainment significant end effects are observed for large velocities. This leads to the existence of regions where the axial force is negative. Secondly, a Hartmann effect occurs near the walls. The electric current and the corresponding forces are confined near the wall in Hartmann layers. Global stability of e.m. pump is also analysed.

The work studies the tridimensional electromagnetic field structure of a single sided Annular Linear Induction Pump (ALIP), based on 3D finite elements models in the "block pumping" assumption. It treats the time variation of the pumping force and gives qualitative and quantitative information about the braking forces occurring at the inlet, outlet and along the pump. There are given data about the distance between magnetic cores effect over the azimuth nonuniformity of the electromagnetic quantities.