A MODEL OF MIXING AND TRANSPORT IN WAVY TAYLOR-COUETTE FLOW

Wavy Taylor vortex flow was simulated by developing a stream function model of the velocity vector field in a radial-axial plane that mimics an experimentally obtained velocity field. The simulation neglects th e azimuthal component of velocity but provides estimates of the mixing and axial transport properties of wavy vortex flow in the axial-radia l plane at higher Taylor numbers (Ta) and larger gap widths than previ ous models. Based on the estimated Lyapunov numbers, the particle path s appear to be chaotic for wavy vortex flow in the range 131 less than or equal to Ta less than or equal to 253. The axial particle transpor t increases with the Taylor number in this range, most likely due to i ncreased axial transport of fluid between vortices. The mixing within vortices is also enhanced with increasing Taylor number as a result of increased stretching and folding within a vortex. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.