Experimental Investigations of a Modified Taylor-Couette Flow

Authors: A. Esmael, A. El Shrif

Abstract:

In this study the instability problem of a modified Taylor-Couette flow between two vertical coaxial cylinders of radius R1, R2 is considered. The modification is based on the wavy shape of the inner cylinder surface, where inner cylinders with different surface amplitude and wavelength are used. The study aims to discover the effect of the inner surface geometry on the instability phenomenon that undergoes Taylor-Couette flow. The study reveals that the transition processes depends strongly on the amplitude and wavelength of the inner cylinder surface and resulting in flow instabilities that are strongly different from that encountered in the case of the classical Taylor-Couette flow.

Keywords: Hydrodynamic Instability, Modified Taylor-Couette Flow, Turbulence, Taylor vortices.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1338056

References:

[1] Dong S., “Direct Numerical Simulation of Turbulent Tyaylor-Couette Flow”, J. Fluid Mech. (2007), vol. 587, pp. 373–393.
[2] Rafique M., “Etude de l’écoulement entre deux cylindres coaxiaux à entrefer constant et à entrefer ondule par la surface du cylindre intérieur tournant”, Doctorat de INPL, 1999.
[3] M. Rafique, S. Skali Lami. “A study of steady state flow in modified Taylor-Couette system: Inner rotating wavy cylinder coaxial with a smooth stationary outer cylinder”. 11th International Couette-Taylor Workshop, Germany, 1999, 105-106.
[4] Drozdov S. M., Skali Lami S., Rafique M., “An asymmetrical periodic vortical structures and appearance of the self-induced pressure gradient in the modified Taylor Flow”, 13th Int. Taylor Couette Workshop, 2003.
[5] Esmael A., Elshrif A., “Experimental Investigations of Classical Taylor Couette Flow”, Third Tunisian conference on mechanics, Sousse Mars 2014.