Experimental study of the flow in the cavity between rotating disks

Abstract

An experimental investigation using laser-Doppler anemometry was conducted in the cavity between rotating disks. Measurements of velocity were taken for rotor-stator and counterrotating disk flows. Batchelor-type flow was observed for the rotor-stator flow, and Stewartson-type flow in the counterrotating disk system. The core flow of the counterrotating disks is turbulent for x 2Re Φ as low as 2.16 × 10 4, but the boundary layer flow remains laminar for x 2 Re Φ ≤ 1.1 × 10 5. The velocity measurements show good agreement with previously published hot-wire anemometry measurements and theoretical predictions.