Interactive Visualization System of Taylor Vortex Flow Using Stokes' Stream Function

Taylor vortex flow between two concentric rotating cylinders with finite axial length includes various patterns of laminar and turbulent flows, and its behavior has attracted great interests. When mode bifurcation occurs, quantitative parameters such as the volume-averaged energy change rapidly. It is important to visualize the behaviors of vortices. In this study, a three-dimensional visualization system with respect to time is devised. This system can change the viewpoint of flow visualization, and we can observe the track of a vortex from any point. The volume-averaged energy is projected to the track of the center of a vortex. The proposed system can help to investigate the relationship between the mode bifurcation process and the volume-averaged energy.