Abstract
CONSIDER a long sealed container partially filled with a liquid or completely filled with two immiscible liquids and oriented horizontally. If the container is rotated about a horizontal axis, a laminar secondary flow pattern develops that is characterized by large regular regions of segregated material. The onset of this new flow pattern appears to be the result of a natural instability in the normal flow, and is found to occur in containers of all geometries. The flow instability and the associated laminar secondary flow pattern discussed here are, to my knowledge, being reported and studied for the first time and do not appear anywhere in the published scientific literature. This might seem surprising at first in view of the apparent simplicity of the phenomenon, but when it is viewed in terms of its mathematics, with its difficult boundary conditions and unusual body force orientation, it becomes understandable why it would be unlikely that anyone could predict its existence from mathematical considerations alone. Further, it is rather difficult to demonstrate the instability by experiment with inelastic fluids.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Taylor, G. I., Phil. Trans., A, 223 289 (1923).
White, C. M., Proc. Roy. Soc., A, 123, 645 (1929).
Schlichting, H., Boundary Layer Theory (fourth ed.) (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1960).
Green, A. E., and Bivlin, B. S., Quart. Appl. Math., 14, 318 (1956).
Lane, W. R., and Green, H. L., Surveys in Mechanics (edit. by Batchelor, G., and Davies, R.) (Cambridge University Press, New York, 1956).
Shao-Lin, L., J. Appl. Mech., 30, 443 (1963).
Goldstein, S., Proc. Cambridge Phil. Soc., 33, 41 (1937).
Görtler, H., Zeitschrift für Angewardte Mathematic und Mechanik, 20, 138 (1940).
Hammerlin, G., J. Rat. Mech. Anal., 4, 279 (1955).
Meksyn, D., New Methods in Laminar Boundary Layer Theory (Pergamon Press, New York, 1961).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
BALMER, R. The Hygrocyst–a Stability Phenomenon in Continuum Mechanics. Nature 227, 600–601 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1038/227600a0
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/227600a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
