Inward Flow Between Stationary and Rotating Disks

Abstract

The present study predicts the flow field and the pressure distribution for a laminar flow in the gap between a stationary and a rotating disk. The fluid enters through the peripheral gap between two concentric disks and converges to the center where it discharges axially through a hole in one of the disks. Closed form expressions have been derived by simplifying the Navier– Stokes equations. The expressions predict the backflow near the rotating disk due to the effect of centrifugal force. A convection effect has been observed in the tangential velocity distribution at high throughflow Reynolds numbers.