The flow between counter-rotating disks for aspect ratio R/h = 7, is investigated numerically. This flow gives rise to a new instability pattern, a circular chain of vortices connected to the boundary layers trough spiral arms. The physical mechanism for this instability is elucidated: the balance between the centrifugal effects of each rotating disk results in the detachment of the boundary layer over the slower rotating disk, leading to a free shear layer in the bulk of the flow, witch becomes unstable via a Kelvin-helmholtz-type instability.
L. Djamil . Numerical Study of the Instability Patterns Between Counter Rotating Disks.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36478/jeasci.2008.1.6
URL: https://www.makhillpublications.co/view-article/1816-949x/jeasci.2008.1.6