  A numerical study of the magnetic induction equation has been performed on
von Karman type flows. These flows are generated by two co-axial
counter-rotating propellers in cylindrical containers. Such devices are
currently used in the von Karman sodium (VKS) experiment designed to study
dynamo action in an unconstrained flow. The mean velocity fields have been
measured for different configurations and are introduced in a periodic
cylindrical kinematic dynamo code. Depending on the driving configuration, on
the poloidal to toroidal flow ratio and on the conductivity of boundaries, some
flows are observed to sustain growing magnetic fields for magnetic Reynolds
numbers accessible to a sodium experiment. The response of the flow to an
external magnetic field has also been studied: The results are in excellent
agreement with experimental results in the single propeller case but can differ
in the two propellers case.
