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The complex unsteady flow within a fluid filled annulus and its transition to turbulence

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The analysis of turbulence in transient flows has applications across a broad range of fields. The flow of fluid in a toroidal container is a paradigm for studying the complex dynamics due to the turbulence in these transient flows. We consider both the ‘spin-up’ problem, in which the toroidal container is spun up from rest to a constant angular frequency, and the ‘spin-down problem’, in which the system is already in a state of rigid-body rotation and is spun down linearly to rest. These two approaches allow us to examine the development of an impulsively generated axisymmetric boundary-layer, adjacent to the interior annular wall, its subsequent instability and the larger scale transient features within this class of flows.

Author(s):

Sophie Calabretto    
The University of Auckland
New Zealand

Jim Denier    
The University of Auckland
New Zealand

Trent Mattner    
The University of Adelaide
Australia