Numerical computation of end plate effect on Taylor vortices between rotating conical cylinders

Abstract

End plate effect on Taylor vortices between rotating conical cylinders is studied by numerical method in this paper. We suppose that the inner cone rotates together with the end plate at the top and the outer one as well as the end plate at the bottom remains at rest. It is found that the instability sets in at a critical Reynolds number about Re = 80. Increase Re to about Re = 200 the first single clockwise vortex is formed near the top of the flow system. Further increase Re to about Re = 440 another clockwise vortex is formed under the first one. At about Re = 448 the third vortex is formed which rotates in counterclockwise direction between the first two vortices. With increasing of Re the process continues. Finally, a configuration is obtained with an odd number of vortices in the annulus at about Re = 700, which confirms the experimental observation. Moreover, the local extreme values of pressure and velocity are achieved at the adjacent lines between neighboring vortices or at the medium lines of vortices. The effect of gap size on vortices is also considered. It is shown that the number of vortices increases with decreasing of the gap size and the end plates play an important role in the parity of the number of the vortices.