Boundary layer instability over a rotating slender cone under non-axial inflow

Abstract

Centrifugal instability of the boundary layer is known to induce spiral vortices over a rotating slender cone that is facing an axial inflow. This paper shows how a deviation from the symmetry of such axial inflow affects the boundary layer instability over a rotating slender cone with half-angle. The spiral vortices are experimentally detected using their thermal footprint on the cone surface for both axial and non-axial inflow conditions. In axial inflow, the onset and growth of the spiral vortices are governed by the local rotational speed ratio and Reynolds number in agreement with the literature. During their growth, the spiral vortices significantly affect the mean velocity field as they entrain and bring high-momentum flow closer to the wall. It is found that the centrifugal instability induces these spiral vortices in non-axial inflow as well; however, the asymmetry of the non-axial inflow inhibits the initial growth of the spiral vortices, and they appear at higher local rotational speed ratio and Reynolds number, where the azimuthal variations in the instability characteristics (azimuthal number and vortex angle) are low.