Shifting the flow stability limit in the presence of random fluctuation of the rotational velocity

Abstract

Nonlinear stability of the isothermal three-dimensional flows of viscous incompressible fluid in the rotational spherical layer with the noise presence was studied numerically. Transition between stable non-stationary flow and unstable flow in the form of travelling azimuthal waves is under consideration. Small-amplitude noise inserted to the flow by random broadband disturbances of the inner sphere rotational rate about constant at time averaged value, outer sphere is fixed. An approach is proposed to simplify finding the critical Reynolds number, corresponding to the stability limit in the presence of noise. The results obtained by the proposed and well known methods are compared. Keywords: noise, rotational flows, spherical Couette flow, instability control.