CATERINA – Centrifugal instability And Turbulence ExpeRIments and Numerical Analyses

The purpose of the CATERINA project is to conduct comprehensive experimental studies and direct numerical simulation (DNS) of the eccentric Taylor-Couette-Poiseuille (eTCP) and slender-cone flows.

This will allow direct comparisons between experiments, simulations and also with theory for a better understanding of these centrifugally driven instabilities in flows in rotating configurations, particularly in the transitional and turbulent regimes.

The aims of the CATERINA project are to use this valuable gained knowledge, and the experimentally verified simulations and theoretical results to better understand real-world applications where such flows exist.

In turn, the outcomes will enable improved design of relevant applied flow configurations, such as the flow around nose cones of wind and water turbines as well as lubrication flows in high-speed journal bearing, and better flow control strategies for more efficient operations.

The results of these particularly centrifugally driven flows will be useful for the development and test of engineering turbulence models.