Numerical Approach of the First Instability Appearance in Inclined Taylor–Couette System

The present study numerically investigates the three-dimensional forced and mixed convection heat transfer in an inclined Taylor–Couette system ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]) submitted to a radial temperature gradient. The main objective of this study is to determine the effect of the angle inclination duct on the thermal and dynamic fields. Several cases have been dealt with depending on the inclination angle to detect the critical Reynolds number in each case. The model of the conservation equations with their boundary conditions is numerically solved by the finite volume method with a second-order spatiotemporal discretization. The results show that, in forced convection, the effect of the inclination angle is inexistent on the velocity field. However, with the presence of buoyancy effects, which impact flow stability and the transition to turbulence, the inclination influences both velocity and temperature fields. It also shows that selecting the vertical position of the annulus is preferable to obtain hydrodynamic stability in mixed convection. At the same time, from the thermal point of view, it is preferable to select the horizontal position to get dynamic and thermal stability.