Concentric cylinders Taylor vortices

As an alternative to a cascade of CSTR trains, a novel continuous reactor with a Couette-Taylor vortex flow (CTVF) has been proposed, which can realize any flow pattern between plug and perfectly mixed flows [361-366]. A continuous Couette-Taylor vortex flow reactor (CCTVFR) consists of two concentric cylinders with the inner cylinder rotating and with the outer cylinder at rest. Figure 29 shows a typical flow pattern caused by the rotation of the inner cylinder. 

The Taylor-Couette reactor (TCR), sometimes referred to as a vortex flow reactor, consists of two concentric cylinders, one of which rotates. Figure 5.23. 

The critical Taylor number T for the onset of Taylor vortices can be predicted by examining the stability of snail amplitude disturbances when superimposed on the basic Couette flow. The use of this linear stability analysis for concentric cylinders has been extensively reviewed by Chandrasekhar (1) and Stuart (2). All such analyses assune that the cylinders are infinitely long. In addition to T they predict an initial Taylor vortex celf axial length, . ... 

The presence of weak vortex motions at Taylor ntmbers less than T have been reported by many investigators and have been described in detail by Jackson, Robati and Mobbs (3), for both concentric and eccentric cylinders. That these motions are due to end effects has been shown by numerical solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations for the flow in a finite length annulus. Solutions have been obtained by Alziary de Roquefort and Grillaud (4) for concentric cylinders with end plates rotating with the inner cylinder, Preston (5) for concentric cylinders with fixed end plates and El-Dujaily (6) for concentric and eccentric cylinders with fixed end plates. 

EL-DUJAILK, M.J. "End effects on sub-critical and Taylor vortex flow between concentric and eccentric cylinders." KiD. Ttiesis. Department of Mechanical Engineering, university of Leeds, 1983. 

Figure 8 Taylor vortex secondary flow pattern between rotating concentric cylinders.

Dynamic filtration modules are basically of two types rotating disc filter (RDF) and vortex flow filter (VFF). In the latter, the filtration module has a cylindrical shape and has a rotating concentric cylindrical mesh in its interior. The rotational movement of the internal cylinder generates a Taylor-Couette flow in the annular gap (Roth et al., 1997), creating Taylor vortices that minimize concentration polarization and mesh fouling. Continuous perfusion processes based on this type of filter and operating continuously for up to 100 days have been reported (Mercille et al., 1994). 

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