Thermal effect on large-aspect-ratio Couette–Taylor system: numerical simulations

Abstract

We have performed numerical simulations of the flow in a large-aspect-ratio Couette–Taylor system with rotating inner cylinder and with a radial temperature gradient. The aspect ratio was chosen in such a way that the base state is in the conduction regime. Away from the endplates, the base flow is a superposition of an azimuthal flow induced by rotation and an axial flow (large convective cell) induced by the temperature gradient. For a fixed rotation rate of the inner cylinder in the subcritical laminar regime, the increase of the temperature difference imposed on the annulus destabilizes the convective cell to give rise to co-rotating vortices as primary instability modes and to counter-rotating vortices as secondary instability modes. The space–time properties of these vortices have been computed, together with the momentum and heat transfer coefficients. The temperature gradient enhances the momentum and heat transfer in the flow independently of its sign.