Vortical flow between rotating ellipsoids

Experimental results on incompressible viscous flows in the gap between rotating spheroids are presented. Oblate ellipsoids are discussed as a connecting link between a sphere and a disk, while a prolate ellipsoid represents the geometrical intermediate stage between a sphere and a cylinder. The axes ratios of the ellipsoids are A : B = 2 : 1 and A : B = 1 : 2, respectively. The basic flow field and the occurring instabilities in form of Taylor- and cross-flow vortices have been studied by flow visualization. The common properties and their differences regarding the various flow patterns of the disks, spheres, cylinders as well as of the oblate and prolate ellipsoids are treated. The location of the generation of the different vortex systems at the various rotating bodies is determined. A comparison of the friction torque for these bodies of rotation is given by diagrams. Finally, the theoretically derived curves for the friction torque of the disks, spheres and cylinders are compared with the experimentally obtained data for the oblate and prolate ellipsoids.