1. MAE 5130: VISCOUS FLOWS Taylor-Couette Flow September 23, 2010
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department
Florida Institute of Technology
D. R. Kirk

2. STABLE VS. UNSTABLE BEHAVIOR OF TAYLOR-COUETTE FLOW
Outer cylinder is stationary, w1=0
Inner cylinder is rotating, w0
For small clearance (r1-r0) << r0, the critical value for instability is given by Taylor number
Ta = r0(r1-r0)3(w0/n)2 = 1708
Above critical Ta, flow pattern changes into 3D laminar flow
Counterrotating pairs of toroidal vorticies (also see Figure 5-22a in text)
At this Ta solution is stable

3. FURTHER INCREASING Ta in TAYLOR-COUETTE FLOW