Flow regimes in a simplified Taylor–Couette-type flow model

In this paper we introduce a simplified variant of the well-known Taylor–Couette flow. The aim is to develop and investigate a model problem which is as simple as possible while admitting a wide range of behaviour, and which can be used for further study into stability, transition and ultimately control of flow. As opposed to models based on ordinary differential equations, this model is fully specified by a set of partial differential equations that describe the evolution of the three velocity components over two spatial dimensions, in one meridian plane between the two counter-rotating coaxial cylinders. We assume axisymmetric perturbations of the flow in a narrow gap limit of the governing equations and, considering the evolution of the flow in a narrow strip of fluid between the two cylinders, we assume periodic boundary conditions along the radial and axial directions, with special additional symmetry constraints. In the paper, we present linear stability analysis of the first bifurcation, leading to the well known Taylor vortices, and of the secondary bifurcation, which, depending on the type of symmetries imposed on the solution, can lead to wave-like solutions travelling along the axial direction. In addition, we show results of numerical simulations to highlight the wide range of flow structures that emerge, from simple uni-directional flow to chaotic motion, even with the restriction placed on the flow.