On the Stability of Taylor - Couette Flow With Axial Flow

Abstract

An experimental investigation of Taylor-Couette flows with axial flow is presented. Two techniques are used: Visualization using the Kalliroscope and Electro-diffusion method using electrochemical probes. The fluid is confined between concentric cylinders. It is constituted by an electrochemical solution seeding with 2% of a rheoscopic liquid AQ-1000 (Kalliroscope Corp., U.S.A.). The rheoscopic liquid contains small particles reflecting light in dependence on their orientation imposed by the flow direction. The reflected light intensity of Kalliroscope flakes allows a qualitative study of the flow. While the polarography technique allows the measurement of diffusion limit current intensities delivered by the electrochemical probes. The frequency responses of the probe to the flow allow the determination of the instantaneous and local mass transfer and the instantaneous wall shear rate. Two protocols were adopted to study the effect of an axial flow superposed to Couette-Taylor flows and the history flow effect. The first one consists to impose an azimuthal flow to the inner cylinder. When the regime was established, we superposed the axial flow. This protocol was named “the direct protocol”. While the second protocol consists to impose firstly the axial flow on the gap of the system then the azimuthal flow. We named it “the inverse protocol”. We demonstrated that the Couette-Taylor flow with axial flow is strongly dependent on the flow history (the protocol). For the same Taylor number and axial Reynolds number, the resulting flow is completely different. An axial flow superposed to Couette-Taylor flow can delay the instabilities apparition; generate the displacement of the Taylor vortices in the same direction as the axial flow or in the opposite direction; and modify the instability character of the flow by developing helical vortices or wavy helical vortices.