Numerical analysis of flow and heat transfer characteristics in Taylor-Couette-Poiseuille flow utilizing Large Eddy Simulation method

Abstract

The flow and heat transfer characteristics within the Taylor-Couette-Poiseuille configuration induced by supercritical carbon dioxide flowing through the gap between the turbine shaft and the stationary casing were studied using Large Eddy Simulation. Wavelet analysis was used to calculate pressure fluctuations across various frequencies. Computational assessments were carried out to evaluate changes in the field synergy angle and inertial perturbations within the annular gap. A new theory was introduced to seamlessly integrate temperature, pressure, and velocity fields. Additionally, entropy generation in the Taylor-Couette-Poiseuille flow regime was thoroughly examined. The study revealed the emergence of vortices at the rotating wall, indicating a dynamic process in which large-scale vortices dissolve and more minor ones form. As frequency increases, pressure fluctuations grow. Increasing the mass flow rate can reduce the twisting vortex at the rotating wall and delay the onset of temperature fluctuations. Additionally, increasing the mass flow rate enhances the cooling effect on the rotating shaft. In the radial direction, as r increases, the field synergy angle and the inertial disturbance both show a trend of first decreasing and then increasing. The heat transfer performance is best when r = 0.6 and decreases significantly when r = 0.95. The synergy between the temperature gradient field, pressure gradient field, and velocity field shows a trend opposite to the field synergy angle and the inertial disturbance. As one moves from the rotating wall toward the stationary wall, temperature and velocity entropy production rates decrease, with noticeable fluctuations near the rotating wall.