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Spirals vortices in Taylor-Couette flow with rotating endwalls
M Heise1, K Hochstrate, J Abshagen
1Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany. heise@physik.uni-kiel.de
Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
|November 13, 2009
Summary
Flow conditions near axial boundaries dictate bifurcation scenarios in counter-rotating Taylor-Couette flow. Endwall rotation controls spatial amplitude and symmetry of resulting traveling waves and complex flow patterns.
Area of Science:
- Fluid Dynamics
- Nonlinear Dynamics
- Experimental Physics
Background:
- Hopf bifurcation with translational invariance models spiral vortices in Taylor-Couette flow.
- Previous models did not fully account for axial boundary effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the influence of axial boundary conditions on bifurcation scenarios in counter-rotating Taylor-Couette flow.
- Determine the role of independently rotating endwalls in controlling flow patterns.
Main Methods:
- Conducted experiments using a novel Taylor-Couette apparatus with independently rotating endwalls.
- Varied endwall rotation rates to observe changes in flow dynamics.
- Analyzed spatial amplitude distribution and symmetry of emergent flow patterns.
Main Results:
- Flow conditions near axial boundaries determine bifurcation outcomes: asymmetric traveling waves, defect states, or symmetric mixed states.
- Endwall rotation rate is a critical parameter influencing spatial amplitude distribution.
- Endwall rotation directly impacts the symmetry of flow patterns emerging from the Hopf bifurcation.
Conclusions:
- Axial boundary conditions are crucial for understanding bifurcation phenomena in Taylor-Couette flow.
- Independently rotating endwalls offer precise control over flow pattern selection and symmetry.
- Experimental findings refine theoretical models of pattern formation in fluid systems.
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