Numerical study of heat transfer in a Taylor-Couette system with forced radial throughflow

A modified configuration of the Taylor-Couette system with an imposed radial flow through the surfaces of a rotating inner cylinder and fixed outer one is considered. Numerical simulations of heat transfer in the annular gap were performed for a wide range of throughflow intensity and rotation rate. The regularities of the factors effect on the surface averaged Nusselt number and peculiarities of temperature distribution along the heated surface of the inner cylinder were obtained. The configuration of the inner rotating cylinder with longitudinal porous slots was considered and the influence of the slots number on heat transfer efficiency was examined. The main heat transfer parameters were compared to the ones calculated for the opened Taylor-Couette system with a forced axial flow. The efficiency of the radial throughlow configuration with regard to rotor cooling was shown to be significantly greater than in the case of the axial flow configuration. For instance, the maximum average surface Nusselt number is nearly 50% higher and the maximum local surface overheating is about 50% less. The new fundamental database obtained displays also the influence of turbulence development in the rotating subcritical boundary layer on the surface heat transfer. [Display omitted] •Porous slots in rotor surface provide notable increase of surface heat transfer.•Radial throughflow in rotor-stator systems prevents from local overheating.•Radial throughflow can shift centrifugal instability to very high rotation rate.•Forced radial cross-flow results in azimuthally periodic subcritical boundary layer.