The turbulent flow in an enclosed corotating disk pair: axisymmetric numerical simulation and Reynolds stress modelling

We present axisymmetric numerical simulation and modelling of the turbulent flow between corotating disks with a stationary outer casing, the enclosed corotating disk pair configuration. This follows previous work on laminar flow for an identical geometry defined by a gap ratio G=0.6 (=s/(b−a)) and a/b=0.5, where a and b are the inner and outer radii, and s is the inter-disk distance [J. Fluid Mech. 434 (2001) 39]. The rotation rate considered in the present case is equivalent to Re=1.46×105, where Re (=Ωb2/ν) is the rotational Reynolds number. This corresponds to a value at which mean flow measurements have been obtained for the same configuration [Flow in a rotating cavity with a peripheral inlet and outlet of cooling air, in: ASME Int. Gas Turbine and Aeroengine Cong., paper 96-GT-309, Birmingham]. In computed laminar regimes, it was found previously for this aspect ratio that the flow structure is first characterized by a shift-and-reflect symmetry at lower values of Re before bifurcating to symmetry breaking at higher rotation rates. For the rotation rate under consideration here, the flow is turbulent and shows an unsteady behaviour in the mean, characterized by flapping of the flow between the two disks, inducing symmetry breaking with respect to the inter-disk midplane. Similarities are observed between the centripetal flow coming from the stationary casing and an impinging jet in a cavity. Comparisons are made between the computed results from the axisymmetric numerical simulation (ANS), a Reynolds Stress Transport Model (RSM) and the available experimental data. The RSM predictions are in close agreement with the mean flow measurements. The ANS results give a more detailed description of the flow characteristics, but suffer from the axisymmetry assumption which is not compatible with the three-dimensional turbulence.