scholarly journals Direct numerical simulations of local and global torque in Taylor–Couette flow up to Re = 30 000

2013 ◽  
Vol 718 ◽  
pp. 398-427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannes J. Brauckmann ◽  
Bruno Eckhardt

AbstractThe torque in turbulent Taylor–Couette flows for shear Reynolds numbers $R{e}_{S} $ up to $3\times 1{0}^{4} $ at various mean rotations is studied by means of direct numerical simulations for a radius ratio of $\eta = 0. 71$. Convergence of simulations is tested using three criteria of which the agreement of dissipation values estimated from the torque and from the volume dissipation rate turns out to be most demanding. We evaluate the influence of Taylor vortex heights on the torque for a stationary outer cylinder and select a value of the aspect ratio of $\Gamma = 2$, close to the torque maximum. The local transport resulting in the torque is investigated via the transverse current ${J}^{\omega } $ which measures the transport of angular momentum and can be computed from the velocity field. The typical spatial distribution of the individual convective and viscous contributions to the local torque is analysed for a turbulent flow case. To characterize the turbulent statistics of the transport, probability density functions (p.d.f.s) of local current fluctuations are compared with experimental wall shear stress measurements. P.d.f.s of instantaneous torques reveal a fluctuation enhancement in the outer region for strong counter-rotation. Moreover, we find for simulations realizing the same shear $R{e}_{S} \geq 2\times 1{0}^{4} $ the formation of a torque maximum for moderate counter-rotation with angular velocities ${\omega }_{o} \approx - 0. 4\hspace{0.167em} {\omega }_{i} $. In contrast, for $R{e}_{S} \leq 4\times 1{0}^{3} $ the torque features a maximum for a stationary outer cylinder. In addition, the effective torque scaling exponent is shown to also depend on the mean rotation state. Finally, we evaluate a close connection between boundary-layer thicknesses and the torque.

2012 ◽  
Vol 706 ◽  
pp. 118-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis P. M. van Gils ◽  
Sander G. Huisman ◽  
Siegfried Grossmann ◽  
Chao Sun ◽  
Detlef Lohse

AbstractStrongly turbulent Taylor–Couette flow with independently rotating inner and outer cylinders with a radius ratio of $\eta = 0. 716$ is experimentally studied. From global torque measurements, we analyse the dimensionless angular velocity flux ${\mathit{Nu}}_{\omega } (\mathit{Ta}, a)$ as a function of the Taylor number $\mathit{Ta}$ and the angular velocity ratio $a= \ensuremath{-} {\omega }_{o} / {\omega }_{i} $ in the large-Taylor-number regime $1{0}^{11} \lesssim \mathit{Ta}\lesssim 1{0}^{13} $ and well off the inviscid stability borders (Rayleigh lines) $a= \ensuremath{-} {\eta }^{2} $ for co-rotation and $a= \infty $ for counter-rotation. We analyse the data with the common power-law ansatz for the dimensionless angular velocity transport flux ${\mathit{Nu}}_{\omega } (\mathit{Ta}, a)= f(a)\hspace{0.167em} {\mathit{Ta}}^{\gamma } $, with an amplitude $f(a)$ and an exponent $\gamma $. The data are consistent with one effective exponent $\gamma = 0. 39\pm 0. 03$ for all $a$, but we discuss a possible $a$ dependence in the co- and weakly counter-rotating regimes. The amplitude of the angular velocity flux $f(a)\equiv {\mathit{Nu}}_{\omega } (\mathit{Ta}, a)/ {\mathit{Ta}}^{0. 39} $ is measured to be maximal at slight counter-rotation, namely at an angular velocity ratio of ${a}_{\mathit{opt}} = 0. 33\pm 0. 04$, i.e. along the line ${\omega }_{o} = \ensuremath{-} 0. 33{\omega }_{i} $. This value is theoretically interpreted as the result of a competition between the destabilizing inner cylinder rotation and the stabilizing but shear-enhancing outer cylinder counter-rotation. With the help of laser Doppler anemometry, we provide angular velocity profiles and in particular identify the radial position ${r}_{n} $ of the neutral line, defined by $ \mathop{ \langle \omega ({r}_{n} )\rangle } \nolimits _{t} = 0$ for fixed height $z$. For these large $\mathit{Ta}$ values, the ratio $a\approx 0. 40$, which is close to ${a}_{\mathit{opt}} = 0. 33$, is distinguished by a zero angular velocity gradient $\partial \omega / \partial r= 0$ in the bulk. While for moderate counter-rotation $\ensuremath{-} 0. 40{\omega }_{i} \lesssim {\omega }_{o} \lt 0$, the neutral line still remains close to the outer cylinder and the probability distribution function of the bulk angular velocity is observed to be monomodal. For stronger counter-rotation the neutral line is pushed inwards towards the inner cylinder; in this regime the probability distribution function of the bulk angular velocity becomes bimodal, reflecting intermittent bursts of turbulent structures beyond the neutral line into the outer flow domain, which otherwise is stabilized by the counter-rotating outer cylinder. Finally, a hypothesis is offered allowing a unifying view and consistent interpretation for all these various results.


2018 ◽  
Vol 849 ◽  
pp. 741-776
Author(s):  
Nils Tilton ◽  
Denis Martinand

Variations in the local stability of the flow in a Taylor–Couette cell can be imposed by adding an axial Poiseuille flow and a radial flow associated with one or both of the cylinders being permeable. At a given rotation rate of the inner cylinder, this results in adjacent regions of the flow that can be simultaneously stable, convectively unstable, and absolutely unstable, making this system fit for studying global modes of instability. To this end, building on the existing stability analysis in absolute modes developing over axially invariant base flows, we consider the case of axially varying base flows in systems for which the outer cylinder is impermeable, and the inner cylinder is a weakly permeable membrane through which the radial flow is governed by Darcy’s law. The frameworks of linear and nonlinear global modes are used to describe the instabilities and assess the results of direct numerical simulations using a dedicated pseudospectral method. Three different axially evolving set-ups are considered. In the first, fluid injection occurs along the full inner cylinder. In the second, fluid extraction occurs along the full inner cylinder. Besides its fundamental interest, this set-up is relevant to filtration devices. In the third, fluid flux through the inner cylinder evolves from extraction to injection as cross-flow reversal occurs. In agreement with the global mode analyses, the numerical simulations develop centrifugal instabilities above the predicted critical rotation rates and downstream of the predicted axial locations. The global mode analyses do not fully explain, however, that the instabilities observed in the numerical simulations take the form of axial stacks of wavepackets characterized by jumps of the temporal frequency.


2013 ◽  
Vol 719 ◽  
pp. 14-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodolfo Ostilla ◽  
Richard J. A. M. Stevens ◽  
Siegfried Grossmann ◽  
Roberto Verzicco ◽  
Detlef Lohse

AbstractWe numerically simulate turbulent Taylor–Couette flow for independently rotating inner and outer cylinders, focusing on the analogy with turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard flow. Reynolds numbers of $R{e}_{i} = 8\times 1{0}^{3} $ and $R{e}_{o} = \pm 4\times 1{0}^{3} $ of the inner and outer cylinders, respectively, are reached, corresponding to Taylor numbers $Ta$ up to $1{0}^{8} $. Effective scaling laws for the torque and other system responses are found. Recent experiments with the Twente Turbulent Taylor–Couette (${T}^{3} C$) setup and with a similar facility in Maryland at very high Reynolds numbers have revealed an optimum transport at a certain non-zero rotation rate ratio $a= - {\omega }_{o} / {\omega }_{i} $ of about ${a}_{\mathit{opt}} = 0. 33$. For large enough $Ta$ in the numerically accessible range we also find such an optimum transport at non-zero counter-rotation. The position of this maximum is found to shift with the driving, reaching a maximum of ${a}_{\mathit{opt}} = 0. 15$ for $Ta= 2. 5\times 1{0}^{7} $. An explanation for this shift is elucidated, consistent with the experimental result that ${a}_{\mathit{opt}} $ becomes approximately independent of the driving strength for large enough Reynolds numbers. We furthermore numerically calculate the angular velocity profiles and visualize the different flow structures for the various regimes. By writing the equations in a frame co-rotating with the outer cylinder a link is found between the local angular velocity profiles and the global transport quantities.


2008 ◽  
Vol 65 (6) ◽  
pp. 1955-1966 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. B. Marston ◽  
E. Conover ◽  
Tapio Schneider

Abstract Low-order equal-time statistics of a barotropic flow on a rotating sphere are investigated. The flow is driven by linear relaxation toward an unstable zonal jet. For relatively short relaxation times, the flow is dominated by critical-layer waves. For sufficiently long relaxation times, the flow is turbulent. Statistics obtained from a second-order cumulant expansion are compared to those accumulated in direct numerical simulations, revealing the strengths and limitations of the expansion for different relaxation times.


2020 ◽  
Vol 887 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pieter Berghout ◽  
Rick J. Dingemans ◽  
Xiaojue Zhu ◽  
Roberto Verzicco ◽  
Richard J. A. M. Stevens ◽  
...  


2007 ◽  
Vol 586 ◽  
pp. 259-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. X. TRIAS ◽  
M. SORIA ◽  
A. OLIVA ◽  
C. D. PÉREZ-SEGARRA

A set of complete two- and three-dimensional direct numerical simulations (DNS) in a differentially heated air-filled cavity of aspect ratio 4 with adiabatic horizontal walls is presented in this paper. Although the physical phenomenon is three-dimensional, owing to its prohibitive computational costs the majority of the previous DNS of turbulent and transition natural convection flows in enclosed cavities assumed a two-dimensional behaviour. The configurations selected here (Rayleigh number based on the cavity height 6.4 × 108, 2 × 109 and 1010, Pr = 0.71) are an extension to three dimensions of previous two-dimensional problems.An overview of the numerical algorithm and the methodology used to verify the code and the simulations is presented. The main features of the flow, including the time-averaged flow structure, the power spectra and probability density distributions of a set of selected monitoring points, the turbulent statistics, the global kinetic energy balances and the internal waves motion phenomenon are described and discussed.As expected, significant differences are observed between two- and three-dimensional results. For two-dimensional simulations the oscillations at the downstream part of the vertical boundary layer are clearly stronger, ejecting large eddies to the cavity core. In the three-dimensional simulations these large eddies do not persist and their energy is rapidly passed down to smaller scales of motion. It yields on a reduction of the large-scale mixing effect at the hot upper and cold lower regions and consequently the cavity core still remains almost motionless even for the highest Rayleigh number. The boundary layers remain laminar in their upstream parts up to the point where these eddies are ejected. The point where this phenomenon occurs clearly moves upstream for the three-dimensional simulations. It is also shown that, even for the three-dimensional simulations, these eddies are large enough to permanently excite an internal wave motion in the stratified core region. All these differences become more marked for the highest Rayleigh number.


1999 ◽  
Vol 393 ◽  
pp. 257-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. S. GODEFERD ◽  
L. LOLLINI

The goal of this work is to analyse how solid body rotation affects forced turbulence enclosed within solid boundaries, and to compare it to results of the experiment performed by Hopfinger et al. (1982). In order to identify various mechanisms associated with rotation, confinement, and forcing, a numerical pseudo-spectral code is used for performing direct numerical simulations. The geometry is simplified with respect to the experimental one. First, we are able to reproduce the linear regime, as propagating inertial waves that undergo reflections at the walls. Second, the Ekman pumping phenomenon, proportional to the rotation rate, is identified in freely decaying turbulence, for which the evolution of the flow bounded by walls is compared to the evolution of unbounded homogeneous turbulence. Finally we introduce a local forcing on a plane in physical space, for simulating the effect of an oscillating grid, so that diffusive turbulence is created, and we examine the structuring of the flow under the combination of the linear and nonlinear mechanisms. A transition to an almost two-dimensional state is shown to occur between the region close to the forcing and an outer region in which vortices appear, the number of which depends on the Reynolds and Rossby numbers. In this region, the anisotropy of turbulence is examined, and the numerical predictions are shown to reproduce many of the most important features present in the experimental flow.


Author(s):  
Sang-Hyuk Lee ◽  
Hyoung-Bum Kim

Taylor-Couette flow has been studied extensively and lots of variables which affect the flow instability are being reported. The wall geometry effect of Taylor-Couette flow, however, has been less studied. In this study, we investigated the effect of axial slit of outer cylinder. This kind of configuration can be easily seen in rotating machinery. Particle image velocimetry method was used to measure the velocity fields in longitudinal and latitudinal planes. The index matching method was used to avoid light refraction. The velocity fields between the slit and plain model which has the smooth wall were compared. From the experiments, both models have the same flow mode below Re = 143. The transition from circular Couette flow to plain Taylor vortex flow began at Re = 103, and the next transition to wavy vortex flow occurred at 124. The effect of slit wall appeared when the Reynolds number is larger than Re = 143. Above this Reynolds number, there was no stable mode and plain and wavy Taylor vortex flow randomly appeared.


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