Taylor-Couette flow with mixed convection heat transfer and variable properties in a horizontal annular pipe

Taylor-Couette flows in a horizontal annular gap between finite coaxial cylinders rotor-stator configuration are numerically investigated. The inner cylinder (rotor) rotates at constant angular velocity while the outer (stator) is rest. They limited their extremities by two fixed walls that prevent axial fluid-flow. In addition, heat transfer generated an imposed temperature difference, with rotor hotter than stator end-walls adiabatic. fluid physical properties dependent. This non-linear physics problem, strong coupling of conservation equations and boundary conditions, solved volume method numerical schemes second order space time accuracies. radius aspect ratios Taylor, Grashof, Prandtl numbers control parameters. developed code has been tested for different meshes perfectly validated. Extensive calculations have made large ranges Taylor Grashof to analyze flow convection modes. results highlight dynamic thermal instabilities from appearance Ekman cells vortex propagation entire annulus. combined effect these vortices secondary improves transfer. Furthermore, influence radial direction more marked vicinity walls. Finally, we propose empirical correlation Nusselt number studied parameter ranges.