Transition from featureless turbulence to turbulent Taylor vortices in counter-rotating cylindrical annulus

The transition from featureless turbulence to stationary turbulent Taylor vortices in the flow between two counter-rotating coaxial cylinders has been investigated by both experiments and numerical simulations in a given range of the control parameters. Experimental data were obtained from visualization and stereoscopic particle image velocimetry. The flows emerging from featureless turbulence when the inner cylinder rotation is increased are quantified and classified into two regimes: noise-induced patterns (disordered Taylor) and robust coherent vortices (wavy turbulent vortices and stationary turbulent Taylor vortices). Different quantities are analyzed to determine the transition between featureless turbulent state and coherent structures. Numerical data from large eddy simulations reproduce the experimental results and allow for a thorough quantitative characterization of the flow regimes, especially in the near-wall regions. Statistical analysis of fluctuating flow quantities is performed, and it turns out that the flow is dissymmetric near the inner and outer cylinders.