Flow of Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids in a concentric annulus with a rotating inner cylinder

We examine the characteristics of helical flow in a concentric annulus with radii ratios of 0.52 and 0.9, whose outer cylinder is stationary and inner cylinder is rotating. Pressure losses and skin friction coefficients are measured for fully developed flows of water and a 0.4% aqueous solution of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), when the inner cylinder rotates at the speed of 0~62.82 rad/s. The transitional flow has been examined by the measurement of pressure losses to reveal the relation between the Reynolds and Rossby numbers and the skin friction coefficients. The effect of rotation on the skin friction coefficient is largely changed in accordance with the axial fluid flow, from laminar to turbulent flow. In all flow regimes, the skin friction coefficient increases due to inner cylinder rotation. The change of skin friction coefficient corresponding to the variation of rotating speed is large for the laminar flow regime, becomes smaller as the Reynolds number increases for the transitional flow regime, and gradually approaches zero for the turbulent flow regime. The value of skin friction coefficient for a radii ratio of 0.52 is about two times larger than for a radii ratio of 0.9. For 0.4% CMC solution, the value of skin friction coefficient for a radii ratio of 0.52 is about four times larger than for a radii ratio of 0.9.