The boiling Twente Taylor-Couette (BTTC) facility: Temperature controlled turbulent flow between independently rotating, coaxial cylinders

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new temperature-controlled Taylor-Couette facility capable of high Reynolds number turbulent flow studies, including boiling phenomena, with precise independent cylinder rotation and optical accessibility.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel, precisely temperature-controlled Taylor-Couette system with high rotational speeds and optical access, enabling advanced turbulence and boiling flow research.

Findings

Achieves Reynolds numbers up to 1.1 million with fluorinated liquids.

Allows independent rotation of cylinders at high speeds.

Provides optical access for flow visualization and measurement.

Abstract

A new Taylor-Couette system has been designed and constructed with precise temperature control. Two concentric independently rotating cylinders are able to rotate at maximum rates of $f_i = \pm20$ Hz for the inner cylinder and $f_o = \pm10$ Hz for the outer cylinder. The inner cylinder has an outside radius of $r_i = 75$ mm, and the outer cylinder has an inside radius of $r_o = 105$ mm, resulting in a gap of $d=30$ mm. The height of the gap $L =549$ mm, giving a volume of $V=9.3$l. The geometric parameters are $\eta = r_i/r_o = 0.714$ and $\Gamma = L/d = 18.3$. With water as working fluid at room temperature the Reynolds numbers that can be achieved are $\text{Re}_i = \omega_i r_i (r_o-r_i)/\nu = 2.8 \times 10^5$ and $\text{Re}_o = \omega_o r_o (r_o-r_i)/\nu = 2 \times 10^5$, or a combined Reynolds number of up to $\text{Re} = (\omega_i r_i -\omega_o r_o)(r_o-r_i)/\nu = 4.8 \times 10^5$. If the working fluid is changed to the fluorinated liquid FC-3284 with kinematic viscosity 0.42 cSt, the combined Reynolds number can reach $\text{Re} = 1.1 \times 10^6$. The apparatus features precise temperature control of the outer and inner cylinder separately, and is fully optically accessible from the side and top. The new facility offers the possibility to accurately study the process of boiling inside a turbulent flow and its effect on the flow.