Symmetry Breaking of Radially Outgoing Flow between Two Parallel Disks

Abstract

The instability and transition of radially outgoing flow between two parallel disks with two symmetrically attached inlet pipes through which fluid enters are investigated theoretically and experimentally assuming an incompressible and axisymmetric flow field. The flow is steady and symmetric with respect to the center plane between the two disks at small Reynolds numbers, but becomes asymmetric above a critical Reynolds number. Numerical simulations and the linear stability analysis reveal that steady asymmetric flows result from the instability of the steady symmetric flow. The axisymmetry and the transition were confirmed in our experiments with flow visualization.