Tangential Flow Development for Laminar Axial Flow in an Annulus with a Rotating Inner

Cylinder
Author(s): B. W. Martin and A. Payne
Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Mathematical and Physical
Sciences, Vol. 328, No. 1572 (May 2, 1972), pp. 123-141
Published by: The Royal Society
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/78086
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Proc. B. Soc. Lond. A. 328, 123-141 (1972)
Printed in Great Britain

Tangential flow development for laminar axial flow in

an annulus with a rotating inner cylinder
BY B. W. MARTIN AND A. PAYNE
Departmentof MechanicalEngineeringand EngineeringProduction,
Universityof Wales Institute of Science and Technology,Cardiff, Wales

(Communicatedby Sir James Lighthill, F.R.S. - Beceived 2 December1971)

The numerical finite-difference procedure of Gosman et al. (I969) is used to predict the
growth of the tangential velocity profile and boundary-layer displacement thickness across
an isothermal laminar axial flow through a concentric annulus when the inner cylinder
is rotated at speeds which are insufficient to generate Taylor vortices. Solutions are obtained
for fully developed and for developing axial flow over the ranges 0.05 < R1B/R < 0.98,
0.0002 < I < 1.0 and 100 < Re < 1700. The axial velocity profile is predicted to be insensi-
tive to core rotation and, if varied, to influence only marginally the development of the
tangential velocity profile; this is such that its dimensionless displacement thickness
is related to dimensionless axial distance by a power law except near full development and at
very low Reynolds number. Predictions at high Re accord extremely well with measurements.
Astill's (I964.) stability criterion for the onset of vortices in tangential developing flow is
accordingly presented afresh in terms of system parameters readily available to the designer.

NOMENCLATURE

afp coefficient in the general elliptic equation

b annulus width = R2 -RI
bo coefficient in the general elliptic equation
CN, S E coefficients in the general substitution formula
c intercept of linear approximation
co coefficient in the general elliptic equation
D source term in the general substitution formula
do coefficient in the general elliptic equation
I length parameter 2Z1(Re) b
m slope of linear approximation
n coefficienit in power law stability criterion = 1152/c3(1?+R2/R1)
B radial coordinate
R1 outer radius of inner cylinder
R2 inner radius of outer cylinder
Be axial Reynolds number based on annulus width 2Wb/v 3

Rec critical axial Reynolds number for transition to turbulence = 2Wcb/v

Ta Taylor number = 2Q2R2b3/v2(Rl+B2)
Tac critical Taylor number for the onset of vortices = 2QB2R2b3/v2(B1+B2)
U radial velocity component
V tangential velocity component
W axial velocity component
[ 1233
 124 B. W. Martin and A. Payne
W mean axial velocity
We critical mean axial velocity for transition to turbulence
Z axial coordinate
ARL gap between inner wall and adjacent nodes
AR2 gap between outer wall and adjacent nodes
RJ
4 d
tangential boundary-layer displacement thickness = DR VdR

da* tangential boundary-layerdisplacement thickness = 6,/b

dimnensionless
0 azimuthal coordinate
,ut dynamic fluid viscosity
v kinematic fluid viscosity ,u/p
p fluid density
0 dependent variable in general elliptic equation
Vf stream function; pW =-f/JROR
(d azimuthal vorticity component = UIa Z -W18R
3

Q angular velocity of inner cylinder

Q2c critical angular velocity of inner cylinder for the onset of vortices

Subscripts
P pertaining to the node at which variable value is being iterated
N, S, E, W pertaining to nodes neighbouring node P to the north, south, east and
west respectively

INTRODUCTION

Fluid motion in a concentric annulus with an inner rotating core is of considerable

importance in chemical, electrical and mechanical engineering applications, such
as rotating disk and cylinder extraction columns, high efficiency batch distillation
columns, cyclone chambers, Fourdrinier paper machines and journal bearings. With
an axial forced flow for cooling purposes, the configuration is also that of a heavy
electrical machine with a rotor-mounted fan. Reliable knowledge of the fluid motion
is needed to predict at the design stage the heat transfer to the coolant which in turn
determines the rotor temperature.
Theoretical studies of viscous fluid flow in rotating annular arrangements origin-
ated with Taylor's (I923) classic treatment for the onset of instability without axial
flow, using the method of small perturbations. This predicted the critical rate
of rotation of the inner cylinder when tangential Couette flow was supplanted by a
secondary flow of counter-rotating doughnut-shaped vortices extending over the
full width of the annulus. Taylor's prediction for narrow gaps of small b/IR was
confirmed by measurements to within + 2 %; following his consideration of larger
gaps, Walowit, Tsao & Di Prima (i964) and Sparrow, Munro & Jonsson (I964)
have since predicted that the dimensionless critical Taylor number

Ta. (= 2QS2R2b3/v2(RI+2))
 Tangential flow developmentfor laminar axial flow 125
increasesnonlinearly but monotonicallyfrom 1708 for narrowannuli to 3020 when
R1/R2 0.5 and the outer cylinder is stationary. Coles's (I967) suggestion that the
effect of R1/R2on the stability boundary can be suppressedby a suitable choice of
variables is well-supported by the measurements of Taylor (I923), Lewis (1928),
Donnelly & Fultz (I960) and Coles (I965) over the range 0.5 < R1/R2 < 0.942.

FioTUnE1. Basic annulus geometry illustrating development

of tangential velocity profile.

For all superimposed axial velocity distributions the tangential velocity com-
ponent is subject to an axial entrance length, as illustrated in figure 1. At the en-
trance only filtid in contact with the rotating surface acquires a circumferential
velocity; the remaining fluid is swept downstream before tangential momentum
can diffuseacrossthe annulus.With increasingdistance downstreamthe tangential
boundary layer thickens eventually to fill the gap. In a sufficientlylong annulusthe
tangential profile further develops to approach Couette flow; when thus fully de-
veloped the tangential velocity distribution is independent of the axial coordinate.
The effect of axial flow on the stability of the fully developed tangential profile
has been theoretically treated by Goldstein(X937), Di Prima (196o), Chandrasekhar
(I960, i962) and Krueger &Di Prima (I964). Measurementsare reportedby Cornish
(1933), Fage (I938), Kaye & Elgar (I958), Donnelly & Fultz (i96o), Yamada (1962),
Snyder (I962), Astill (i96i, I964) and Flower, MacLeod & Shahbenderian (I969).
By hot-wire velocity measurements in fully developed axial flow Kaye & Elgar
(I958) were the first to identify the four flow regimesshown by domain in the Ta-Re
map in figure 2. These are laminar flow with an without vortices and turbulent
flow with and without vortices, such that Ta, increases with Re but Re, diminishes
with increasing Ta from 2300 at zero Ta.
In many practical applications the annulus will be of insufficient length for fully
developed tangential flow to occur. Astill (i96i, I964) found from smoke patterns
of the flow that in laminar developing tangential flow Taylor vortices are generated
within the tangential boundary layer, originating as oscillating ripples near the
 126 B. W. Martin and A. Payne
rotating core. The wave motion progresses across the gap as the fluid moves down-
stream finally curling over to form opposed pairs of trapezoidal vortices as in figure 3.
For given Re, the point of origin of the ripples moves upstream with increasing Ta
while for given Ta it moves downstream with increasing Re. By noting the point of
origin of the first discernible ripple in an annulus of R1/R2 = 0.727 Astill developed

turbulent

turbulent
laminar )9 vortices

laminar
with
vortices

Taylor number, 2Q2R2b3/V2(Rl + R2)

FiGuRE 2. Schematic representation of domains of flow regimes.

outer surface (stationary)

inner surface (rotating)

FIGuRE 3. Schematic representation of vortex generation within growing
tangential boundary layer.

an empirical stability criterion as a special form of Taylor number. This is based on

tangential boundary-layer displacement thickness 4 (rather than gap width b) as
suitably characterizing the tangential flow. For
200<Re<1700 and 1.38x104<Ta <3.12x105

ripples occur when

Q2R 3 b3&3
Q2R1
-2 V 576. (1)

From the application standpoint, the ability satisfactorily to predict 80 is clearly

an essential prerequisite for successful application of the above stability criterion
and, because of the enhanced heat transfer due to vortex generation, must greatly
influence the design of cooling systems. Being that annular gap for the same tangen-
tial flow rate if the tangential velocity were everywhere the surface velocity of the
rotating core, the displacement thickness depends on the tangential velocity profile.
Consideration of the azimuthal and axial momentum equations indicates that,
 Tangential flow developmentfor laminar axial flow 127
except in the immediate entry region, da is completely defined for a given axial
velocity distribution by radius ratio R1/R2 and a length parameter I = 2Z/b(Re),
there being no dependence on rate of rotation of the inner cylinder in the absence
of vortices accordingto Schlichting (1960) and Astill (196I).
For fully developed laminar axial flow, Astill (I96I) calculated the growth and
displacement thickness of the tangential profile by momentum-integral methods.
An assumed parabolic tangential profile near the entrance required matching with
an assumed linear profile further downstream to secure satisfactory agreement with
measurements for RIR2 0.727. Astill, Ganley & Martin (I968) predicted the
growth of the tangential profile and hence 80' by direct solution of the Navier-
Stokes equations using the method of separation of variables and the velocity-
difference technique of Sparrow & Lin (I964). This procedure was rendered possible
only by uncoupling the interaction between the axial and tangential profiles, the
axial velocity distribution being replaced by its mean value throughout the annulus.
Computed solutions were obtained by summation of Fourier-Bessel series to thirty
terms for R/R2 = 0.674 and compared with both the authors' measurements and
those of Astill (i 96 I, I 964) .
The present contribution employs the numerical finite-difference procedure of
Gosman et al. (I969) for general two-dimensional flows, to predict 80' without
restriction on the axial velocity distribution. Application of this powerful procedure
permits assessment of the interaction between the tangential and axial flows when
the latter (a) is fully developed at entry (b) develops from a uniform entry profile.
The case when the axial flow remains uniform throughout is also treated for com-
parative purposes. Predictions of &8'extend over considerably wider ranges of para-
meters than have previously been reported (0.05 < R11/R2< 0.98, 0.0002 < I < 1.0
and 100 < Re < 1700) and for I < 0.15 suggest a general power-law relation be-
tween &8'and I in which the constant and exponent are functions of R/1R2. Corre-
spondence between predictions and measurements is favourable, especially at high
Reynolds number. By combining predictions with the empirical stability criterion
(1), the latter is conveniently re-expressed in terms of critical Taylor number Ta,
and other system parameters to be of immediate use in the design of engineering
equipment.

PREDICTION PROCEDURE

(a) The mathematical problem

As already stated, the finite-difference approach used is that of Gosman et al.
(I969) for general two-dimensional flows. The present application to laminar iso-
thermal swirling flow of a single species involves expression of the continuity and
the three moment of momentum equations in cylindrical coordinates and their reduc-
tion to three second-order differential equations of the followinggeneralellipticform:

ao( 9aR ass-))azb b{ R aZoR -(o 0) + Rd = O.

0 (2)
128 B. W. Martin and A. Payne
In (2), 0 is the variable concerned and a,, bo,co and do are coefficients arising from
the conversion, such that a,, b? and do respectively multiply convection, diffusion
and source terms. Substitution of vorticity o and stream function 2f eliminates
the pressure terms and permits two of the equations to be combined into one. For
constant fluid properties the three resultant equations are defined by table 1.

TABLE1
0 ~~a?, b?, c?, d?,
RV 1 1/2 12 0 (3)
o/R R2 KR2 _paV218Z (4)
0 I/pR2 1 -wR (5)

outer boundary
N N

L1R2

(i) intemal node (ii) node adjacent to inner boundary

outer boundary (iii) node adjacent to
inner boundary
FIGURE 4. Typical mesh nodes.

Like others of its kind, the finite-difference procedure of Gosman et al. focuses
attention on a finite number of points distributed over the solution domain as the
nodal points of a grid. An algebraic relation is sought between the value of 0 at a
typical node P of the grid in figure 4 (i) and its four immediate neighbours N, S, E
and W. This relation is obtained by double integration with respect to Z and B
of the differential equation (2), over a control volume or 'cell' (denoted by the
dotted lines in figure 4 (i)) which encloses P. The walls of the cell are supposed to be
mid-way between the grid lines, which need not be equally spaced. The resultant
finite-difference equation can be expressed in the following successive-substitution
form
p = CN\N+CS S+CEVE+CW W+D, (6)
where the Cs are positive coefficients which express the combined influence of
convection and diffusion and involve the values of a., b6, co, do, ~/, Z and R at
the N, S, E and W grid nodes. The term D resulting from the integration of Rdc
represents the total source of entity 0 in the cell.
The present finite-difference method differs from its predecessors either in the
generality of its framework or, following the work of Courant, Isaacson & Rees
(I95Z), Blair, Metropolis, Taub & Tsingou (I 957), Barakat & Clark (I966) and Spald-
ing (I966), in employing a unidirectional upwind-difference scheme; this gives rise
 Tangential flow developmentfor laminar axial flow 129
to initial-value iterative solutions less prone to divergence and instability than
conventional backward, forward and central difference schemes, particularly for
high Reynolds number. Thus the gradient of vorticity is with backward reference to
the direction of flow. The present method also ensures that each finite-difference
equation obeys the relevant 0-conservation equation for each cell. The iteration
procedure is a Gauss-Siedel point method whereby freshly updated values are
employed immediately they become available. To minimize truncation errors the
grid lines are staggered to be closest together near the entry and solid boundaries
where gradients are steepest. The computer program is written in Fortran IV using
grid meshes 27 x 27.
(b) Treatment of boundary conditions
To complete the solution of an elliptic second-order partial differential equation,
boundary values must be specified which extend completely round the perimeter
of the solution domain in figure 5. Thus for equation (2) and table 1, values of R V,

boundary conditions outer

(wlR)S,3>p, (RV) p

(o)IR)p (o,/R)p
t R~~P ~ RP
(RV)p (RV)p

(wl.R)N, /r p, (R V) p

inner

defining equations
(17), (15), (12) (8) (10) (17), (15), (12) (8) (I ) (10), (15), (12) (I0
(9) (9) (I 1) (9) (10) (10)
(12) (18), (14), (16) (13)1 (12) (18), (14), (16) (13) (|12) (10), (14), (16) (13)

(a) axial (b) axial (c) axial

fully developed developing uniform
FIGuRE 5. Defining equations for boundary conditions of prediction procedure, for axial
velocity component (a) fully developed, (b) developing, (c) held uniform.

o/R and if (or their first derivatives) must be supplied at all nodal points on the
boundaries. As already stated, solutions are obtained for the cases where the axial
velocity distribution (a) is fully developed at entry, (b) develops from a uniform
entry profile, (c) remains uniform throughout. (For this case wIR and tk are fixed
throughout the field by equations (10) and (11) below respectively; only RV is
iterated.) Expressions for w/R and #/ are therefore the same (i) at the entry boundary
for cases (b) and (c), and (ii) at the exit boundary for cases (a) and (b). Special treat-
ment of the finite-difference equation is required for the generally unknown vorticity
at the solid boundaries. The argument that wIRis readily calculable from standard
equations only applies to case (c), where an unreal axial profile is imposed; for cases

9 Vol. 328. A,
 130 B. W. Martin and A. Payne
(a) and (b) the argument is premature because its presupposes that w/lRis indepen-
dent of the developing tangential flow. This is discussed further belo w.
The well-known profile for fully developed laminar axial flow in a concecntric
annulus can be expressed in terms of mean velocity W by

1 9X(2 pllpX) 2X1 )1(-R2/R1}

^ (X2+ R2)In -(Xs2X
-2)
(7SW)

Jttfollows fron conatinuity considerations that, for axisymmetric flow U is then zero.
For case (a) at entry and cases (a) arid (b) at exit we may therefore write

U au aw 2W {(l2 - R2)/J?p-- 2p ln (/1211))

t}p as aB vA~~2 (8)

and, since i 'aR,

p,

substitution for Wffrom (7) and subsequent integration leads to

[:R2- R] [R2{ln ( _ R}2{In AMsP)
X/1 +'B}]
+ [1(2 - R2) (4 1)] l (X2111)
(X2 + R2) In (R (X2/1- R2) 9
Pf

For cases (b) and (c) at entry and case (c) at exit, where Wp- W,

au aw
U =
(X)p 0' (10)

and ?Ifp
__ Rp-R2
1 .1
pW 2 (11)

Since at the entry no fluid has acquired a tangential velocity it follows that for all
three cases
(R V)p = 0. (12)
The tangential fully developed Couette flow at the exit leads for all three cases to

(RV)p = QR2X2 $. (13)

2 1

In the case of the two solid boundaries in figure 5, if the inner rotating surface is
defined as the streamline
fp = O, (14)

the outer stationary surface is readily shown from continuity for all cases to be the
streamline given by
?Wp _R2-R 2
2 (15
pTW 2of (ti

The corresponlding boundary values of (R V)p for all cases result from application of
 T'angentialflow developmentfor laminar axial flow 131
the zero-slip condition; equation (12) must be satisfied at the outer boundary, while
for the inner boundary
(RV)p = QR. (16)
Because the vorticity distribution along the solid boundaries is unknown, the
successive substitution equation (6) for iterating (/BR)p at a node adjacent to these
boundaries, as in figures 4 (ii) and (iii), is modified to the following implicit forms,
which make no direct appeal to the boundary values. For nodes adjacent to the
outer boundary we write for cases (a) and (b)

f _= Cs(WIB)s+ CE(oIR)E + Cw(oIR)w -

3C0N(Vp-?fN)/(pR2AR2) +D 1
V3JP~~~~~ 2+C ~~ ~~~~~~~~~
(17)

and for nodes adjacent to the inner boundary

lto CN(WIR)N+ CE(w/R)E + Cw(/IR)w - 3CS(/fp -frs)/(pR2AR2) + D

l-v}G5 ,
(18)
where AR2, AR1 are the grid spacings between boundary and adjacent nodes at the
outer and inner boundaries in figures 4 (ii) and (iii) respectively. Removal of the
boundary terras is achieved by substituting expressionis for ((o)/R)6ouldary derived
from (4) and (5) with boundary-layer assumptions imposed; vorticity is assumed to
vary linearly with distance from the solid boundary.
The above information concerning boundary conditions for all three cases is
displayed in figure 5. A subsidiary computer program was developed to calculate *
according to t:he equation

&0 -RI) p VdR. (19)

(c) Features of the calculations

In an iterative procedure a set of initial values is required to start the computa-
tions. If the problem has a unique solution, the initial values should not affect the
final result, though they may substantially influence the number of iterations needed
to obtain that result and hence the run time. The most economuicalpractice of good
iniitial guesses, having regard to the results of previous calculations, led to average
run times of 6 or 7 min, on the I.B.M. 450 computer used, though extended run
times up to 25 min were recorded for case (b) of simultaneously developing axial and
tangential flow. Calculations were terminated using the conventional convergence
criterion that the maximum fractional change in 0 within the field between suc-
cessive iterations is less than a given value, in this case 5 x 10-3.
The exit boundary conditions are found to influence the solution only in the last
three columns of the 27 x 27 block mesh used; frequently this influence is restricted
to nodes in the penultimate column. Thus correct solutions for at least the first 23
axial stations can be found without knowing the correct exit boundary conditions.
By successive use of the solution of the twenty-third column of a block as the entry
 132 B. W. Martin and A. Payne
condition for a subsequent block the annulus is traversed downstream and any
desired fineness of spacing achieved without prohibitively long single run times.
In most cases three runs were employed.
The computed flow solution is deemed to be fully developed if five or more con-
secutive columns in the last block give the same value. By so arranging the axial
spacing that in the last block the fully developed value occurs before the twenty-
third column, and is therefore not influenced by the exit conditions downstream, a
fair indicatioln of the truncation error throughout the solution may be obtained.
Based on the dimensionless tangential boundary-layer displacement thickness SO,
the difference between the computed and analytical fully developed values averages
2 % and never exceeds 4 % of the analytical value.
As already stated, computations extend over a range of radius ratios from 0.05
to 0.98 for Reynolds numbers in the laminar regime for 100 to 1700; values of dimen-
sionless axial length cover the range 2 x 10-4 < I < 1.0.

COMPARISON OF PREDICTIONS AND MEASUREMENTS

(a) Coupling effects

The computational program was designed initially to assess the extent of coup-
ling orinteraction between the axial and tangential flows. Accordingly, the first series
of computations examined the effect of the developing tangential velocity profile
on the axial velocity distribution. For annuli with 0.1. < R1/J2 < 0.98 and for rota-
tional rates incapable of promoting vortex generation within the growing boundary
layer, no detectable influence was lnoted either in case (a) or case (b) except in the
immediate entry region where I < 0.001. The sole contribution of the tangential
component in the axisymmetric plane lies in the vorticity source term -p v2/? Z

in. (4). For 1 > 0.001 this contribution is insignificant for the range of rotational
speeds over which Taylor vortices are absent.
For the limiting case of a stationary inner cylinder, case (b) compputations of the
developing axial velocity profile for RJ/B2 = 0. 8 were compared with the correspond-
ing predictions of Sparrow & Lin (I964). These workers linearized the momentum
equation by neglecting the second derivative D2VWV/Z2and applied a difference
procedure whereby the axial velocity results from subtracting a 'difference velocity'
from the fully developed value. Over the range 0.002 < I < 0.15 for which da is
correlated, the two solutions are found in an unpresented comparison to agree
within + 5 %. In the immediate entry region (I < 0.001) very large velocity gradielnts
appear to contribute errors to both solutions; within the practical limits of mesh
size significant truncation errors in computational procedures then become un-
avoidable. In subsequent computations advantage was taken of axial flow in-
dependence of developing tangential flow (a one-way uncoupling) by not iterating
values of ifp and (oBR)p for the bulk of case (a) computations; instead the inlitial
values given by (8) and (9) were used throughout iterations along the Z axis.
Before considering the effect of axial velocity distribution on the developing
 Tangential flow developmentfor lamtnar axial flow 133
tangential flow, the reliability of the present numerical procedure for predicting the
latter may be gauged by reference to figure 6. This shows a comparison of successive
tangential velocity profiles for case (c) of axial plug flow and the corresponding pre-
dictions of Astill et al. (i968) by direct solution of the Navier-Stokes equations,

IiN1.0 .I

0O.9 9

F_ t~~~~~
0 50 1000
I9 ; 0 1

R1/R2 0.674and b-1.54 c for R-* 170. -- - Asil

O, ta. T68;,prsn

. ~1.0~-~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
.O
. .. 4

6and 0 b --foranl
Be,
2 =.54cm (a); 1700. -, 0, et0 c a sent
0
'0

0.7- %s0
0 50' 100
- axial position (cm)
~~~~~~~~axial
FIGUPRE
FIGuR.E 7.6. Comparisonof dimensionlessvelocity ((V
JQRR1) profiles in an annulus
prof-iles
VIS2RD R/2=0of
of
J2067 7
b = 1.54 cmRe,for17100. -,peetaayi
=064and castilet(a);.... ( as968); 0 rsn
canlsis
(CaS (c).rmntldt f sile a.( 6
case(c) ~~~
*, 03prmna aao sle l T6)

wherein the assumption of an average axi'al velocity across the annulus implies
uncouplingof tlheinteraction between the axial and tangential flows.,The'Reynolds
number is 17002b/R, = 0.482 and R/JR2=0.674. For each profile zero ve-locity
coincides with the axial position (measured in centimetres from the annulus
entrance) of the corresponding predictions. The two sets of predictions are in
extremely close accord.
lFigure7 com.pares present tangential velocity predictions along the annulus for
cases (a), (b) and (c), where Re- =1200 and b/R, (as in figure 6) is 0.482, and suggests
that interaction. between the flows influences more noticeably the tangential velocity
prIofile-than the axial velocity distributions. This is somnewhat clearer in the corre-
spondingpresentationof 60 as a function of I in figure8, wherethe effect of assumi'ng
a uniform axial profile is to reduce 6f,9at low I and near the walls below the valu'es for
9-2
 134 B. W. Martin and A. Payne
developing or developed axial flow. This is because the latter involve smaller a V1aR
and greater residence times for fluid particles near the wall to transfer tangential
momentum than does uniform axial flow. Away from the walls the situation is
reversed; a uniform axial profile underestimates the developing or developed near-
parabolic values and at large I this effect dominates the tangential profile.

0.2 .

.?s 0.1 _.j,

0 1

0 0.05 0.10
length parameter, I 2Z/(Re) b
FIGuRE 8. Comparison of development of dimensionless displacement thickness in an annulus
of RlIR2 0.674 for Re 1200. ---, Present analysis, case (a); ......, case (b);
case (c); , experimental data of Astill et al. (I968).

Differences in &#for cases (a) and (b) are relatively small, developing axial flow
leading to tangential displacement thicknesses up to 7 greater than for developed
0

axial flow for an intermediate range of 1. The two solutions predictably converge as
1 -+. 0 and as the axially developing flow approaches the full development which is
9900 achieved at I 0. 15. The above comments are largely reinforced by the
measurements of Astill et al. for axially developed flow included in figure 8, agree-
ment with corresponding predictions tending to improve with tangential flow de-
velopment. Discrepancies near the rotating surface, also noted by Astill et al.
particularly at low Re, are ascribed partly to non-linearities in the hot-wire calibra-
tion curve at the low fluid velocities used. It may be that the probe orientation neces-
sary to present the hot wire to the oncoming fluid results in operation in its own
wake owing to the presence of the tangential velocity component. The discrepancies
are unlikely to be attributable to predictive errors.

(b) Tangential boundary-layer displacement thickness

The use of 6 as a parameter to characterize tangential flow development is, of
course, well established. The remainder of the investigation is concerned to predict
the nature of its dependence under laminar conditions on the other system para-
meters over the widest possible ranges. Consideration of the azimuthal Navier
Stokes equation and the definition of dimensionless tangential boundary-layer
displacement thickness leads for a given axial velocity distribution to the functional
relation d 1/R2, 1) (20)
 Tangential flow developmentfor laminar axial flow 135
with the possibility of only limited influence of Re, other than that included in the
dimensionless length 1, in view of its association with the shear term 82V/8Z2 in
the Navier-Stokes equation.

0.3

0.2 12 a 9

tia

0.1 -

0 0.04 0.08 0.12

0.12

S 0.12 - 9 0
0~~~~~~
0 ~ ~ ~ 0

,0 iaS? ... 10

0.04A

0 0.004 0.008 0.012,

length parameter, I 2Z/b(Re)

FIGURE9. Influence of axial Reynolds number upon growth of SO. Present analysis for annuli
of R1lR2 = 0.5; axial component fully developed, 0, Re = 100; El, Re = 1700.
FIGURE 10. Influence of axial Reynolds number upon growth of 80. Present analysis for
annuli of R1/R2 = 0.5, axial component fully developed, 0, Re = 100; *, Re = 150;
x, Re 300;E, Re = 500; Fl, Re = 1700.

This is demonstrated in figure 9 for case (a), where computed values of 80 are
plotted against I for R/BR2 = 0.5 and Reynolds numbers of 100 and 1700. That 6d is
independent of Re values below 1700 for I > 0.015 is more clearly evident in the
enlargement of the entry region in figure 10, which includes data for intermediate Re
values of 150, 300 and 500. Computed points for Be = l000 are omitted because of
their coincidence with those for 500 and 1700. For I < 0.015, only the departure of
9-3
 136 B. W. Martin and A. Payne
points for Reynolds numbers of 100 and 150 from values for Re = 1700 is significant,
by percentages of 39 and 26 respectively at 1 = 0.0002. The solution for Re = 1700
may therefore be regarded as uniquely determining 40 when 1700 > Re > 300 if
I > 0.002. For 300 > Re > 100, the solution for Re = 1700 is valid provided that
Z > 0.6b. Similar unpresented results for case (b) and extreme R1/R2 of 0.05 and
0.98 suggest that the above conclusions are then equally valid provided that
Z > 0.7b is substituted for Z > 0.6 in the previous sentence.

0.5 000000
-~~ ~ 0 0 0 00
WC
o 0l
0g Ep
X Drz

3~~~~~~~~~~~~0 Q0ooo oo oo

0.1

60*0

0.03~~~~00 0.01 Q.1 1.0

length parameter I = 2Z/b(Re)
FIGURE l1. Development- of X along annulus for RJ1R2of 0.98, 0.3, 0.2, 0.1 and 0.05 reading
from top to bottom. o and 0, present analysis for case (a) ; , faired linear approxi-
mations. Experimental measurements: Astill (i964), R1jR2 = 0.727, U, Re = 200,
*, Re = 1700; A, Astill et al. (i968), R11R2 0.674, Re = 1200.

Figure 11 portrays the predicted relation between da and I on logarithmic scales

for five values of the paramnetersR1/R2 over the range 0.98 > R1/R2 > 0.05. The
Reynolds number is 1700 and the computations are based on case (a). The tangential
boundary-layer displacement thickness always increases with R1/R2 for given I but
the dependence of da on the length parameterweakens to vanishing point for I > 0. 15
as the tangential flow approaches full development. During development each of the
five straight lines drawn through computed points in figure 11 correlates those
points to within + 2 %in the range 0.002 < I < 0.15. The implied power-law relation
between da and I is evidently of the form

(21)
where c and m are functions of R1/R2 readily determined by cross-plotting from
figure 11 and unpresented predictions for seven further values of R1/X2 and illu-
strated in figure 12. The rate of increase of both functions diminishes rapidly at
large R1/R2, but neither can be simply expressed as an algebraic function of this
parameter. Parallel unpresented computations for case (b) equally result in a power-
law relation between &tand I with values of c indistinguishable from those for case
(a) but with the slightly lower values of m for all R1/R2 shown in figure 12. These are
alsofor Re= 1700.
 Ta ngential flow development for lamitnar axial flow 137
Values of 8o derived from figure 12 are within 3 %accuracy of the individually
computed solutions; as before, the limits of power-lawvalidity are 0.002 < I < 0.15
for300 < Re < 1700andZ > 0.7b,1 < 0.15for 100 < Re < 300. Thecorrespondence
of the predicted power-law dependency with the measurementsof 4 reported by
Astill. et al. (i )68) for Ta < 6 x 103 at Re = 1200 for case (a) and RJ/R2 0.674 is
shown in figure 11. In view of the marginaldifferencesbetween case (a) and case (b)
predictions, Astill's (I964) mean measurements of 6*for the latter case over the
range 1.38 x 1O4 < Ta < 3.12 x 1O5atRe= 1700andR1/R2 0.727arealsoincluded
in figure 11; these further confirmthe predictedpower-lawrelation. The accuracyof
computation i:nthis instance is shown more clearlythan figure 11 permits in table 2,
whereinAstill's (i 964)measurementsare comparedwith da computedfrom figure 12
for cases (a),and (b). The latter and more valid.comparison indicates agreement
within 3%.

0.8 --03

e0.4- t (31
0.3

0~~~~~~~~~~~02
S
* 0 ~ 0.4 0.8
~~~~~~~~~~~0.23
radius ratio R1JR2
FIGuRE 12. Values of coefficient c and exponent mnfor 0.05 < R1/R2 < 0.98.
m for case (a); - - - -, m for case (b); ....... c for both cases (a) and (b).

TABLE 2

I measured, case (b) predicted, case (b) predicted, case (a)

0.0829 0.287 0.287 0.284
0.0546 0.238 0.244 0.240
0.0371 0.214 0.209 0.205
0.0148 0.142 0.146 0.142
0.0027 0.073 0.075 0.073

An interesti:ng result of the computations is that over the examined range of

R1/R2 the tangential momentum is predicted to diffuse across the annulus un-
influenced by the stationary boundary and to reach it within the range
0.002 < I < 0.02.
This is well within the range of validity of (21) and the c and m values of figure 12.
It is perhaps surprising that for I > 0.02 the constraining effect of the stationary
 138 B. W. Martin and A. Payne
boundary and the resultant development of the tangential velocity profile towards
Couette flow is not reflected in an earlier departure from (21) than that of I 0.15
indicated in figure 111.The reliability of the predictions in this respect is supported
by Astill's (I964) mean measurements for Re = 200 in figure 11, which suggest that
an asymptotic approach to the fully developed tangential profile does not occur for
1 < 0.15. As already noted, observable discrepancies of up to 2000 between these
measurements of ,89 (which all satisfy the condition for comparison that Z > 0.7b)
and current computations may reasonably be attributed to experimental error
at low Re. The momentum-integral analysis of Astill (I96I) and the predictions of
Astill et at. (I968) are likewise at variance, with Astill's (I964) measurements.
If equation (21) is combined with Astill's (I964) empirical relation (1) for vortex
generation in laminar developing tangential flow, the resultant stability criterion
in terms of Taylor number is
Ta = njl3m, (22)
where n is given by
1152
(?+R2/11) c3 (23)

8-

C4

0 0.4 0.8
radius ratio, R1/R2
FIGURE 13. Variationof coefficientn with R1fR2 for developedand
developingaxial flow.

Figure 13 shows n as a function of R1/R2 over the range 0.05 < R1/R2 < 0.98,
the relation being equally valid for cases (a) and (b). As R1/R2 -> 1.0, n approaches
an asymptote of about 1075. Because this tendency of n to independence from
radius ratio is shared by m as R1/R2 increases for both developed and developing
axial flow, over the range of R1/R2 of practical interest above 0.5 the stability cri-
terion expressed by (22) is almost uniquely determined by the length parameter 1.
The increasingly weak dependence of Ta, on RJ/R2 between values of 0.5 and
0.98 as I increases is illustrated in figure 14 for cases (a) and (b). Also included are
Astill's (I964) case (b) measurements of vortex transition for R1/R2 _0.727. To
within + 20 ? of all computed values in the range
0.5 <RR2< 0.98, 0.01 I < 0.15,
 Tangential flow developmentfor laminar axial flow 139
the demarcation between the stable and unstable regions in figure 14 is represented
by
1150bRe117
Ta= =1 150 (24)

for both developed and developing axial flow. As with (21), the predictions in figure
14 and equation (24) are valid for 300 < Re < 1700 and also for 100 < Re < 300
provided that Z > 0.7b. As 1 increases above 0.15 the onset of fully developed

R1JR2 = 0.98

R1JR2 = 0.5 {\

unstable

X
k Ta5
a1050
stable \X

0.01 0.1
length parameter, 1 2ZIb(Re)
FIGURE 14. Astill's stability criterion using present analysis to predict 80. , case (a);
case, (b); *, experimental vortex transition data according to Astill (i964),
I/R2- 0.727.

Couette flow may be expected to render Ta, independent of Z and therefore only a
function of Re, as indicated in figure 2. However, since Astill's empirical stability
criterion was obtained only for R1/R2 = 0.727, it is conceivable'that Q2R613/V2 in (1)
is a function of R1/R2 rather than the quoted constant of 576. Though in the light
of previous experience with Taylor stability'phenomena such dependency is
unlikely to be significant, at least for larger R1/R2, it would nevertheless involve an
additional function of R1/R2 for Tah as given by (22) a'nd (24) and further research
is needed over the whole range of R1/B2to resolve this uncertainty.

CONCLUSIONS

This paper applies an upwind finite-difference procedure for the solution of

general- two-dimensional flows to isothermal laminar swirling flow in a uniform
concentric annulus brought about by the interaction of inner cylinder rotation with
 140 B. W. Martin and A. Payne
forced axial flow. The developing tangential velocity profile and associated dis-
placement thickness are computed for different axial velocity distributions and it is
shown that the two-way coupling between the tangential and axial velocities has
negligible effect on the latter and only a marginal effect on the former.
The computations greatly extend the range of conditions covered by earlier work,
particularly for the geometrical parameters; except at low values, Reynolds number
has no effect other than that accounted for by the length parameter 1. During most
of the tangential flow development, this is related to dimensionless displacement
thickness by a power law whose constant and exponent are functions of -the radius
ratio RJ1/R2. Discrepancies with measurements noted near the rotating surface and
at low Reynolds number may reasonably be attributed to measurement errors;
the comparisons are otherwise satisfactory. Current predictions serve greatly to
increase the utility of an existing empirical stability criterion for the onset of
vortex motion in developing tangential flow.

The authors wish to acknowledge the support given by the Science Research
Council and the assistance rendered by Dr W. M. Pun. They also wish to thank Mrs
S. M. Price for her help in the preparation of this paper.

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