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Pumping Fluid With No Moving Parts
RogerRoast writes "In a study published in Physical Review B (abstract; full version is paywalled), researchers demonstrate for the first time an approach that allows ferrofluids to be pumped by magnetic fields alone. The invention could lead to new applications for this mysterious material. Though numerous industrial, commercial, and biomedical applications for ferrofluids have since been created, the original goal — to pump liquids with no machinery — remained elusive, until now. The ferrohydrodynamic pump method works when electrodes wound around a pipe force magnetic nanoparticles within the ferrofluids to rotate at varying speeds. Those particles closest to the electrodes spin faster, and it is this spatial variation in rotation speed that propels the ferrofluid forward."
"Magnetohydrodynamics [wikipedia.org] has been around for quite a while"
Wow, you mean, like, REALLY? An entire field of applied maths/physics has been around "for quite a while"? I must run and tell the solar physicists!!!!!!!!!
"Magnetohydrodynamics... has long been one of the holy grails of submarine propulsion with prototypes existing now for years."
This is non-sensical and you know it. Magnetohydrodynamics is a theory. It is not submarine propulsion, which is the business of making submarines move. If you can't tell the difference between these you may as well give up and fuck off.
"During my last visit to a Los Angeles class submarine [utah.edu], this was a hot topic"
Oh man, I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were so important! Let me lick your boots.