An Experiment on a Taylor Vortex Flow in a Gap with a Small Aspect Ratio : 3rd Report, Bifurcation of Flows in a Symmetric System

Abstract

This experimental work is concerned with the instability of several Taylor vortex flows between concentric cylinders in a symmetric end condition. The flow has several characteristic patterns : primary mode, normal secondary mode, and anomalous mode which has outward flow on either the upper or lower end plate and/or on both end plates of cylinders. It is found that the anomalous mode changes other anomalous modes or normal secondary modes or primary modes when the Reynolds number is gradually decreased. Consequently, bifurcation set of complex flows is presented with the bifurcation diagram of flows in a symmetric system.