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Elastically induced turbulence in Taylor–Couette flow: direct numerical simulation and mechanistic insight

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 November 2013

Nansheng Liu  and
Bamin Khomami
Nansheng Liu
Affiliation:
Materials Research and Innovation Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-2200, USA Department of Modern Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui, Hefei 230026, China
Bamin Khomami*
Affiliation:
Materials Research and Innovation Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-2200, USA
*
†Email address for correspondence: bkhomami@utk.edu
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Abstract

Direct numerical simulation (DNS) of elastically induced turbulent flows has posed great challenges to researchers engaged in developing first-principle models and simulations that can predict faithfully the complex spatio-temporal dynamics of polymeric flows. To this end, DNS of elastically induced turbulent flow states in the Taylor–Couette (TC) flow are reported here with the aim of paving the way for a mechanistic understanding of this new class of flows. Specifically, the DNS not only faithfully reproduce the key feature of elastically induced turbulent flows, namely, substantial excitation of fluid motion at the smallest temporal and spatial scales, but also for the first time demonstrate the existence of three distinct flow regions in the gap for the inertio-elastic turbulence state: (i) a fluid-inertia (or outflow-) dominated inner-wall region; (ii) a fluid-elasticity (or inflow-) dominated outer-wall region; and (iii) an inflow/outflow core region. Based on this observation, a simple mechanism for the inertio-elastic turbulence in the TC flow has been postulated.

JFM classification

Turbulent Flows: Turbulence simulation Non-Newtonian Flows: Viscoelasticity
Type
Rapids
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 737 , 25 December 2013 , R4
Copyright
©2013 Cambridge University Press 

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