Characteristic-Based Fluid Flow Modeling between Two Eccentric Cylinders in Laminar and Turbulent Regimes

Abstract

Determining the flow between eccentric cylinders is crucial in a wide range of industries. The governing equations for the flow between eccentric cylinders cannot be solved analytically. Therefore, three-dimensional incompressible viscous fluid flow between eccentric and concentric cylinders has numerically been simulated in this paper to investigate them using a characteristic-based approach. The first-order characteristic-based scheme is used to calculate convective terms, whereas the second-order averaging technique is used to calculate viscous fluxes. The Taylor number, eccentricity distance, Reynolds number, and radius ratio are considered the controlling parameters of fluid flow between the cylinders. The influence of flow between cylinders on flow patterns is presented in terms of velocity, pressure, and flow contours. It is found that at a constant Taylor number, the asymmetric centrifugal forces produce the Taylor vortices on the right of the internal rotating cylinder as the eccentric distance increases. When the eccentric distance increases, the magnitude of shear stress and its fluctuation on the cylinder wall, as well as the pressure on the cylinder wall, rise. The numerical results obtained were validated by comparing them to previously published experimental results, which showed a high level of agreement.