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In the course of the search for a flow pattern optimal for culture growth in vortex bioreactors, our experiments discovered striking flow patterns that existing theoretical models cannot explain. Three immiscible liquids fill a vertical open cylindrical container whose sidewall is still, while the bottom disk rotates driving a fluid motion. The centrifugal force pushes the lower liquid (L, aqueous glycerol) from the axis to the periphery near the bottom, creating its toroid circulation that in turn drives middle liquid (M, sunflower oil) and upper liquid (U, alcoholic glycerin) circulations. With increasing rotation, counterflows develop near both interfaces LM and MU in upper fluids: the liquids move toward (away from) the axis below (above) the interface that seems paradoxical. Then, unusual topological transformations occur again in the middle liquid flow caused by competition between effects of radial friction and centrifugal forces. Near cylinder boundary at interface MU, new reverse circulation zone developed where the radial velocity became zero and then change sign. These counterintuitive results wait for their theoretical explanation and formulation of new contact conditions at the LM and MU interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experimental study reveals a striking nonlinear-physics phenomenon of fundamental and practical interest—changing conditions at the interface of two swirling immiscible fluids filling a vertical cylindrical container. To this end, we use a new measurement technique significantly advanced compared with prior studies. The rotating bottom disk drives a steady axisymmetric flow of both fluids. The lower fluid makes the centrifugal circulation (CC): It spirals on toroid surfaces going to the periphery near the bottom and going back to the axis near the interface. At a slow rotation (Re = 100), the upper fluid makes the anti-centrifugal circulation. As the rotation intensifies (Re = 175), the upper-fluid flow reverses into CC near the interface-axis intersection. For strong swirl (Re = 500), the CC occurs at the entire interface. In prior studies, the spatial resolution (1 mm) was insufficient to resolve the near-interface velocity field. Here, we use the advanced (light field) measurement technique, which has significantly better resolution (0.14 mm) and clearly shows that the radial velocity at the interface is negative for small Re and becomes zero for large Re. During these metamorphoses, the topology of the lower-fluid flow remains invariant, the interface has no visible deformation, and the flow is steady and axisymmetric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experimental study reveals a curious phenomenon—hysteresis in a lab-scale two-liquid flow. The rotating bottom disk drives a toroidal circulation of water–glycerin solution (lower fluid) and sunflower oil (upper fluid) in a vertical cylindrical container. As the rotation speeds up, the solution–oil interface and the oil–air (free) surface deform rising near the sidewall and depressing near the axis as typical of whirlpools. We choose that the oil–solution volume ratio be small (having in mined oil-pollution applications) but not too small (for convenient observation). As the rotation speeds up, the oil separates from the sidewall and collects in the solution funnel. Next, the interface touches the bottom, and this is the point of no return. The centrifugal force pushes the near-bottom oil to the periphery and the buoyancy pushes oil upward. The Rayleigh–Taylor instability breaks the interface, and oil droplets disperse in the solution. If before this breakdown, the rotation starts to decrease, the oil separates from the bottom at the angular velocity ω being remarkably smaller than that for which the oil touches the bottom. Therefore, the hysteresis is a capillary-induced phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Looking for an optimal flow shape for culture growth in vortex bioreactors, an intriguing and impressive structure has been observed that mimics the strong swirling flows in the atmosphere (tornado) and ocean (waterspout). To better understand the flow nature and topology, this experimental study explores the development of vortex breakdown (VB) in a lab-scale swirling flow of two immiscible fluids filling a vertical cylindrical container. The rotating bottom disk drives the circulation of both fluids while the sidewall is stationary. The container can be either sealed with the still top disk (SC) or open (OC). As the rotation strength (Re) increases, a new circulation cell occurs in each fluid—the dual VB. In case SC, VB first emerges in the lower fluid at Re = 475 and then in the upper fluid at Re = 746. In case OC, VB first emerges in the upper fluid at Re = 524 and then in the lower fluid at Re = 538. The flow remains steady and axisymmetric with the interface and the free surface being just slightly deformed in the studied range of Re. Such two-VB swirling flows can provide efficient mixing in aerial or two-fluid bioreactors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experimental study reveals a counterflow slip at the interface of two immiscible fluids filling a sealed vertical cylindrical container whose bottom disk rotates while other walls are stationary. An advanced particle image velocimetry helps us analyze and quantify streamline patterns and velocity profiles of the steady axisymmetric flows of both fluids. As the angular velocity of a disk increases, starting from zero, three changes occur in topology of the upper-fluid flow while topology of the lower-fluid flow remains invariant. These changes result in the counterflow slip at the entire interface, whose nature is speculatively discussed and requires further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]