The Stability of Viscous Flow between Rotating Cylinders

Author(s): S. Chandrasekhar
Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Mathematical and Physical
Sciences, Vol. 246, No. 1246 (Aug. 19, 1958), pp. 301-311
Published by: The Royal Society
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/100494
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 The stability of viscous flow between rotating cylinders
By S. CHANDRASEKHAR, F.R.S.
Enrico Fermi Institutefor Nuclear Studies, Universityof Chicago

(Received3 March 1958)

A method of solving the exact characteristic value problem to which a study of the hydro-
dynamic stability of viscous flow between rotating cylinders leads one, is described. In
illustration of the method, detailed numerical results are obtained for the case when the
ratio of the radii of the two cylinders is one-half.

1. INTRODUCTION

As is well known, the first successful treatment of the stability of viscous flow
between rotating cylinders is due to Taylor (1923). The accompanying experiments
by which Taylor demonstrated the onset of instability were carried out with an
apparatus in which the difference in the radii, R2-R1, of the two cylinders could be
considered as small compared to the mean radius, l(R2+B1). For this reason,
Taylor's original theoretical investigation was limited to this case and all sub-
sequent treatments of the problem have followed Taylor's in making the same
approximation; the case when R2-RB is comparable to RB or R2 has never been
treated properly. In this paper a method will be described by which the exact
mathematical problem can be solved without too much difficulty. As an illustration
of the usefulness of the method, detailed numerical results will be presented for
the case R1 = R2-R1. Experiments undertaken to verify the theoretical result
for this case are described in papers by Donnelly (1958) and Donnelly & Fultz
(I958).
2. THE CHARACTERISTIC VALUE PROBLEM
The underlying mathematical problem is the following:
The hydrodynamical equations allow the stationary solution,
V(r) = Ar + B/r, (1)
for the rotational velocity at a distance r from the axis of rotation and A and B are
two constants related to the angular velocities 01 and 02 with which the inner and
outer cylinders (of radii R1 and R2, R2 > R1) are rotated. Thus

A = Q11AlV2 and B= Q1 1-2 (2)

where /a = 02/Q1 and = B1/R2.

R (3)
By considering a symmetric perturbation of the solution (1) by a periodic dis-
turbance in the z-direction, of wave number A, it can be shown that the state in
marginal stability is governed by the equation (cf. Chandrasekhar I953; set H = 0
and eliminate u between equations (50) and (51) in this paper)
4AA/2/ B~
(DD*-A2)3v _ A(A+ v, (4)
r 301 1 20-2
302 S. Chandrasekhar
where D = d/dr and D*=D + l/r, (5)
together with the boundary conditions
v -0, (DDiD-*A2)v=0 and D(DD*-A2)v =0 at r=R1 and R2. (6)
In equation (4), v denotes the kinematic viscosity.
As we have stated in ? 1, the characteristic value problem presented by equations
(4) and (6) has not been treated in its full generality up to the present time. The
only circumstance under which the problem has been treated is when
1
(R - Rj) << (R2+ Rj). (7)
When this is the case we need not distinguish between D and D* (cf. Jeffreys 1928)
and we can further replace A + B/r2 which occurs on the right-hand side of equa-
tion (4) by [- ]
L ~R2-RI-

A systematic treatment of the resulting characteristic value problem has recently

been given (Chandrasekhar I954a).
In this paper we shall consider the exact equations (4) and (6). For this purpose
it is convenient to rewrite these equations in non-dimensional forms by measuring
r in the unit R2 (the radius of the outer cylinder) and letting
A = a/R2. (9)
Equation (4) then takes the form

(DD*-a2)3 V= -Ta2(2-K) V (10)

BR 42~ 4l~)1,/2
where T=- 4AB -2 =4Q (JR, )/ (11)
.A2 I

and K- -R2 12g/y2 (12)

B I=

Solutions of equation (10) must be sought which satisfy the boundary conditions

v-(DD*-a2)v =D(DD*-a2)v=0 at r-= and r- (13)

Equation (13) provides six boundary conditions anid the requirement that a
solution of equation (10) (for given a2 and K) satisfy these conditions will lead to a
determinate sequence of possible values for T. Among these possible values of T,
there will be a smallest (positive) value; and the minimum of these smallest possible
values (as a function of a, for a given K) will specify the required critical Taylor
number, To, at which instability will first set in, for the assigned K.

3. THE METHODOF SOLUTION

Experience with problems in hydrodynamic and hydromagnetic stability in
recent years has shown that in solving characteristic value problems in high-order
differential equations, it is important to satisfy, exactly, as high-order subsidiary
 Stability of viscous flow betweenrotattng cylinders 303
equations as is conveniently possible (cf. Chandrasekhar I954b). This is the principle
which underlies, for example, the solution of the problem in the framework of the
approximations (7) and (8) (described in Chandrasekhar 1954a). However, a
solution of equation (10) patterned on this last paper proves impracticable. An
alternative method making use of the new types of expansions which Reid and the
writer have recently developed (Chandrasekhar & Reid I957; Reid 1958) appears
ideally suited to the problem on hand. The method is the, following:
Letting C = (DD*-a2) v, (14)
we observe that the boundary conditions (13) require that both a and its derivative
vanish at r = I and V. Accordingly, we may expand C in terms of the set of ortho-
gonal functions, Wl(ajr), determined by the characteristic value problem specified
by the equation d2 1 d 1 2
(DD*)2y = ( + - ar Y (15)

and the boundary conditions

y=O and dy/dr = 0 at r =Iand . (16)
The required characteristic functions are expressible as linear combinations of
the Bessel functions J1, Y1,I, and K1 in the form

lel(a, r) =Aj J,(ajr) + Bj Yl(ajr)+ Cj_1(acr) + DjKl(aj r), (17)

where acis the root of a certain transcendental equation (given in Chandrasekhar
& Reid 1957, equation (31)) and A1, Bj, Cj and Dj are constants determined apart
from an arbitrary constant of proportionality.
The basic idea, then, is to expand C in terms of the functions Wl(acgr).Thus, we
assume 0
C = (DD*-a2)V =Z PIW1(Lxjr), (18)
1=1
where the coefficients, Pj, in the expansion are, at this stage, left unspecified. Having
expressed C in this form, we next solve equation (18) as a differential equation for v.
The solution of equation (18) will contain just enough constants of integration to
satisfy the remaining two boundary conditions on v. In this way we shall obtain
an expansion for v which satisfies all the boundary conditions of the problem and
satisfies, exactly, at the same time, the differential equation relating C and v. With
v determined in this fashion, equation (10) will lead, as we shall see in detail in ? 4,
to an infinite order determinant which must be zero if all the Pj's are not to vanish
identically. It is in this way that we shall obtain the characteristic equation for
determining T.
4. THEiCHARACTERISTIC EQUATION
We shall now proceed to obtain the explicit form of the characteristic equation
for T.
First we must solve equation (18) for v. For this purpose it is convenient to write
the function V,,(oa,r) in the manner

l(jr) = uj(r)+vj(r), (19)

304 S. Chandrasekhar
where uj(r) =
AjJ(acjr)+Bj1Y(cjr),) (20)
and vj(r) -C I, (ocjr) + Dj K1(j r). f
Clearly DD3 =- ac j4 and DD*vj = +?c vj. (21)
Making use of the relations (21), we can readily verify that the general solution of
equation (18) is given by
v q11ar uj(r) vj(r)
V = E PI 1pjI(a(a r) 2+ (22)
J=1 ?a
a2'+~~ a-a
where the constants of integration pj and qj are to be determined by the boundary
conditions on v, namely, that it vanishes at r = 1 and y. These latter conditions
lead to the equations
pj11(a)+qjKj(a) = 4_ 4u(1), (23)

and = i 4u1j().
2or4
pjI(ay)+qjKj(ay)

In obtaining these equations from (22), we have made use of the fact that
u(1) = -vj(l) and uj(y) = -vj(y).
On solving equations (23), we find:
2a~
j =_(4a4) [?u1(1)K1(a#) -u1(y)K1(a)], (4
-j (aQx- a)3 [- uj(1) K1(ay)+ uj(y) IK(a)]1,
1

where A = h1(a)Kj(an)-11(an)Kj(a). (25)

Now substituting for v from equation (22) in equation (10), we obtain

z Pj{(a!+ a2)2 Uj + (o1 - a2)2 Vj}

j=1
00 a2 ~~~~~~~v)-
xR(u1- )
Ta(K
A)Pj (pjI(ar) + qjKj(ar)+ 1 + 4 (26)

Finally, multiplying this equation by r(uk + Vk) and integrating over the range of r,
we obtain 00
P(odk+ a4) Nk + 2a2E cja A^(k)
j=l
co

= Ta2 E PI[KI(k)(a) - Ik(1)(a)] + qj[KKkl)(a) -K(l)(a)]

J=1

-ij -
ii_a4[KA2jk--Aj7k)])' (27)
+ ai-a2[Nk
a4 )k--Hk 3

where we have made use of the orthogonality relation,

J
(u?+vj)(uk+vk)rdr = Nk3jk, (28)
 Stability of viscous -flow betweenrotattng cylinders 305
and introducedthe abbreviations:

&k1) (uj -
Vj) (Uk + Vk) r?ldr,

I(?=)(a) J11(ar)(Uk + Vk)r?ldr, (29)

K(+)(a) -= K(ar) (Uk + Vk) r?ldr,

and Mjk = (Uj+Vj) (Uk + Vk)j (30)

the terms,we canwriteequation(27)in the form

Rearranging
p(4?4 2KT4y o
c?
ak
(sa KTz_ a--)-Nk +2 EP x

T TPj -[KIl(a) - I(-')(a)] + qj[KK(l)(a) -K(`)(a)]

Xj-k k I) ^k k]z-4X)* (1
[KA.k- j~a Mj. (31)

Equation (31) represents a system of linear homogeneous equations for the Pj's.
Consequently, if the Pj's are not all to vanish identically, it is necessary that the
determinant of the system vanishes, i.e.

Nj 2 KT ia4) 4Jkk+22 ajA?

-T (p1[KIMP(a) - I(1)(a)] + qj[KK(1)(a) -K( )(a)]

- _______ ~~a2
- 44[KA(_-' -X M 0. (32)

This is the required characteristic equation for T.

Of the various matrix elements defined in equations (29) and (30), those with
the superscript (+ 1) in (29) can be evaluated explicitly. They are given by

=4[r(ujuZ-u ')]Ic k).2kV

) C..42-k (33)
?
= [(ru'+uk) (ru4-uk)] (j k),

Xk
k
Ikl)( =a-4{[UI(r-k(a)}(34)

and iKl)(a)= 4k {r[aukK'(ar) -

ukK1(ar)]}Il (35)

The remaining matrix elements must be evaluated numerically.

306 S. Chandrasekhar

5. NUMERICAL RESULTS FOR THE: CASE 21

By makinguse of the tables of the functions,u and vj, for y =i andj = 1, 2

and3, whicharenowavailable(Chandrasekhar &ElbertI958)the matrixelements
whichoccurin the firstthreerowsand columnsof the characteristicdeterminant
(32)have beenevaluated.Thissuffices(aswe shaLlpresentlysee)to determinethe
criticalTaylornumbersfor K < 2-0to within 1 or 2 %of the truevalues.
For an understandingof the resultsto be describedthe followinggeneralob-
servationsare relevant:
Rayleigh'scriterionforthe stabilityof rotationalflowin an inviscidfluidis

(r2Q)> 0. (36)

Thiscriterion,appliedto the solutionQ = A + B/r2,requiresA > 0; and according

to equation(2),this is equivalentto*
1 -#12 <0 or u>y2 (forstability). (37)
For a viscous fluid we must, a fortiori, have stability when Rayleigh's criterion is
satisfied.However,whenkc<2, we do not necessarilyhave instability:for,the
finitenessof viscosityrequiresthat Rayleigh'scriterionbe violatedto a determinate
extent beforeinstabilitysets in. The criticalTaylornumberspecifies,in fact the
extent to whichRayleigh'scriterionmust be violatedfor the onset of instability;
this is apparentwhenit is observedthat (1_-#/2) iS, indeed,a factorof T.
Returningto the case y =, we may firstnote that the definitionsof T and K
in this case are
64
T =- - /J21R\22
.)(1-#):(1 -4#a), (38)

and K = (1-44#)/(1l-p (39)

Rayleigh'scriterionfor stabilityin this caseis
A (forstability). (40)
Accordingly,in the calculationsfor Tc,we canrestrictourselvesto
p 1 and K>0. (41)
In table I the valuesof T obtainedwiththe aid of the characteristic
equation(32)
in the differentapproximations (the 'order'of the approximationbeingthe order
of the determinantwhichis set equalto zeroin the determinationof T) arelisted
for variousassignedvaluesof a and K. For eachvalueof K, valuesof a werechosen
(bytrialanderror)in the rangein wvhichT (asa functionof a) attainsits minimum.
Froman examinationof this table it appearsthat for K < 1l6 the requiredvalues
of T have been determinedto within a percentof the truevalues. For K = 18,1 '9
and 2.0 the results obtainedin the secondand the third approximationsdiffer
appreciably.Nevertheless,it is unlikelythat evenin these cases,the resultsof the
* The conventionQ1> 0 has been adopted; this clearly entails no loss of generality.
 Stability of viscous flow betweenrotating cylinders 307
third approximation are in error by more than 3 %: this estimate of the error does
not appear unreasonable when we observe that for K = 1 6, while the results of the
first and the second approximations differ by 20 0 the results of the second and
the third approximations do not differ by more than 200.

TABLE 1. TAYLOR NUMBERS FOR VARIOUS ASSIGNED VALUES OF K AND a (y =

T obtained in
C- - A

K a 1st approx. 2nd approx. 3rd approx.

O 60 1*5520x 104 1-5470 x 104 1-5370 x 104
6*2 1 5486 x 104 1*5434x 104 1-5328 x 104
6.4 1-5498 x 104 1-5444 x 104 1-5332 x 104
0*4 6*0 1.9832 x 104 1-9728 x 104 1-9594 x 104
6*2 1-9788 x 104 1'9680 x 104 1-9539 x 104
6.4 1-9804 x 104 1*9692x 104 1-9542 x 104
0.6 6*2 2-2981 x 104 2*2811 x 104 2*2642 x 104
6.4 2*3000 x 104 2*2823 x 104 2*2644 x 104
1.0 6*2 3*3929 x 104 3-3386 x 104 3*3110 x 104
6.4 3-3958 x 104 3*3393 x 104 3-3100 x 104
6.6 3-4081 x 104 3*3492 x 104 3-3182 x 104
1.333.. 6-2 5-6268 x 104 5-389 x 104 5-3352 x 104
6.4 5-6318 x 104 5*386 x 104 5*3280 x 104
6.6 5*6525 x 104 5-397 x 104 5-3354 x 104
1*6 6*4 1.1901x 105 1*007 x 105 949072x 104
6.6 1*195 x 105 1.005 x 105 9*8831x 104
6-8 1*2023x 105 1*006 x 105 9 8832x 104
1-8 7.6 7-697 x 105 2*0840 x 105 1*9967 x 105
7.8 7*843 x 105 2-0862 x 105 1'9954 x 105
80 8*001 x 105 2.0917 x 105 1-9972 x 105
1*9 8*4 - 2*024 x 105 2*939 x 105
8.6 - 2*042 x 105 2-9363 x 105
8.8 - 2*065 x 105 2-9365 x 105
2*0 9.4 - 5*02 x 105 4*29 x 105
9-6 - 5-046 x 105 4-2865x 105
9.8 - 5*092 x 105 4*305 x 105

In table 2 the critical Taylor numbers (derived from the data of table 1) appro-
priate for the different values of K are given; the values of a at which these minimum
Taylor numbers are attained are also given. The derived T - K and a(TC)- K
relationships are further illustrated in figures 1 and 2. From figure l it appears that
in a log T - K plot the relationship is very nearly a linear one in the neighbourhood
of K = 2.
Table 2 also includes the values

( =
0-0375 -
1j)1 ) IrI f}
QlBl
= 0 37 1,t) (1- 4A) 1-^K l(42)
Q2 1 (
and 02
=

01 and w2 are, therefore, the angular velocities Q, and Q2 measured in the unit
v/1R2. In the (w1, 02)-plane, the locus determined by equations (42) separates the
308 S. Chandrasekhar

TABLE 2. CRITICALTAYLOR NUMBERS AND RELATED CONSTANTS

FOR VARIOUSVALUES OF K =

K # a Tc 01 (2
0 + 0*25 6*2 1-533 x 104 -
*0.1 +0-230769 6*2 1-621 x 104 196-3 +45-30
*0.2 + 0.210526 6-2 1-719 x 104 139-3 + 29-32
*0.3 +0-189189 6*2 1-829x 104 114*2 +21F60
0*4 + 04166667 6*2 1-954 x 104 99*46 +16-58
0-6 +04117647 6-2 2-264x 104 82-56 +- 9.713
*0.8 + 0*0625 - 2*693 x 104 73*39 + 4-587
1.0 0 6-4 3*310 x 104 68*23 0
1*333.. -0*125 6*4 5-328 x 104 66-63 - 8-329
1*6 -0*25 6-6 9.883 x 104 74-56 -18-64
*1.7 -0*304348 1-377 x 105 81*83 -24-90
1*8 - 0*363636 7-8 1-995 x 105 91-56 - 33-30
*1.85 - 0-395349 2-419 x 105 97-19 - 38*42
1.9 - 0*428571 8.6 2-936 x 105 103*2 - 44*22
*1.95 - 0-463415 3-556 x 105 109*4 - 50-71
2-0 - 0-500 9-6 4-286 X105 115*7 - 57-87
* The entries for these values Of K were deduced by Lagrangian interpolation among the
other computed K -log T values.

6O
/

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_
EN5-5 /~~~~~~~
/~~~~~~~~

4.5

4 -0 I I sI1I 1 1 1 1, I f I I l K
I I I 1
0 0-5 1-0 15 20
1 I I , . I I I I , I I_J Cb
+025 0-211 0167 0118 0 0625 0 -0-125 -025 -0-364-05
FIGURE1. The variation of the critical Taylor number (Tc) for the onset of instability
as a function Of K (= (1- 4,a)/(1 -,)). A scale of t ( = Q2/Q1) is also shown.
 Stability of viscous flow betweenrotating cylinders 309
regionsof stability from the regionsof instability (see figure3). In this plane,
Rayleigh'scriterionis representedby the straightline
02= }w1 (Rayleigh's criterion). (43)
Since(seethe firstentryin table 2)
T-* 1533 x 104 as ,t andK->0, (44)
it is clearthat in the neighbourhoodof the line (43), as (w2--+ cc, the asymptotic
behaviour of the true (w1,02)-locus is given by (cf. equation (42))
10378/ 31*533x x1O 5361 (48)
3(I-4,t) V(1-4dt~)
10-

8
a

7-

0 0-5 1O 15 2.0
,,I ~~~~~~~~~.
, . I ,c
+O025 0 -05
FIGURE 2. The variation of the wave number a (in the unit 1/R2) of the disturbancelat which
instability first sets in as a function of K and ,%.The uncertainty in the determination of
a is indicated by the height of the lines.
140 1

120-

unstable 100

stable 80- /

I t i I 60
Gol I I, - 1 -
-60 -40 -20 0 20 40
FIGuTRE w1 and w2
3. The regions of stability and instability in the (w1,wO2)-plane;
are the angular velocities of the inner and the outer cylinder in the unit v/RI.
310 S. (Chandrasekhar
Figure 3 should be contrasted with the corresponding figures (figures 17 and 18)
in Taylor's (I1923) paper.
The coefficients in the expansion of a (cf. equation (18)) for the solutions appro-
priate to the Taylor numbers listed in table 2 are given in table 3.

TABLE 3. COEFFICIENTS IN THE EXPANSION FOR C (P1 1 y- 22)

K a P2 P3
O 6-2 - 2 929 x 10-2 1-240 x 10-2
04 6*2 - 3*745 x 10-2 1-291 x 10-2
0*6 6*2 - 4*347 x 10-2 1-329 x 10-2-
1.0 6-4 - 6-514 x 10-2 1-527 x 10-2
1-333.. 6.4 - 1-055 x 10-1 1-843 x 10-2
1.6 6.6 - 2-008 x 10-1 2-865 x 10-2
6-8 - 2-040 x 10-1 2'972 x 10-2
18 7-8 - 4-321 x 10-' 7 300 x 10-2
1.9 8.6 - 6*240 x 10-1 1-339 x 10-1
8.8 - 6-237 x 10-1 1-363 x 10-'
2.0 9^6 - 8-351 x 10-1 2-425 x 10-'

0.2-
l
_...1W-...1
-

0~~~~~~~~~~~~~1~~~~-

0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0

-0*1~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-021

05 06 07 0.8 0- 9 l0
RI R R2

FIGURE 4. The cell pattern at the onset of instability for the case K = 1, ,t = 0 and a = 6*4.
The stream function ifi(cc u, cos az) has been normalized to unity and the cell pattern
is drawn symmetrically about z = 0. (The unit of length is the radius of the outer
cylinder.)
 Stabtlity of viscoUS flow betweenrotattng cylinders 311
Finally, in figures 4 and 5 the streamlines in the meridian planes characterizing
the cell patterns at marginal stability are shown for two typical cases ( 0 and
- 0-3636).

-0003
01 / / / \ \04

o 11 l t C ) ) ) I } t=8-0!0036

-021

05 0*6 0.7 0.8 09 1.0

R1 R R2
FIGURE 5. The cell pattern at the onset of instability for the case K = 1*8, a=- 036 and
a = 7*8. The stream function #r(ccur cos az) has been normalized to unity and the cell
pattern is drawn symmetrically about z = 0. (The unit of length is the radius of the
outer cylinder.)

In conclusion I should record my indebtedness to Miss Donna Elbert for her

patience in carrying out the long (and often tiresome) calculations which were
necessary to obtain the concrete results of this paper.

The research reported in this paper has in part been supported by the Geophysics
Research Directorate of thc Air Force Cambridge Research Center, Air Research
and Development Command, under Contract AF 19 (604-)2046 with the University
of Chicago.
REFERENCES
Chandrasekhar, 8. I953 Proc. Roy. Soc. A, 216, 293.
Chandrasekhar, S. I954a Mathematika, 1, 5.
Chandrasekhar, S. Ig54b Amer. Math. Monthly (7), 61, 32.
Chandrasekhar, S. & Elbert, D. D. I958 Astrophys. J. Suppl. (in the Press).
Chandrasekhar, S. & Reid, W. H. 1957 Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 43, 521.
Donnelly, R. J. I958 Proc. Roy. Soc. A, 246, 312.
Donnelly, R. J. & Fultz, D. (in the Press).
Jeifreys, H. I928 Proc. Roy. Soc. A, 118, 195.
Reid, W. H. 1958 Proc. Roy. Soc. A, 244, 186.
Taylor, G. I. I923 Phil. Trans. A, 223, 289.