Non-axisymmetric instability in the Taylor-Couette flow of fiber suspension

An analysis of the instability in the Taylor-Couette flow of fiber suspensions with respect to the non-axisymmetric disturbances was performed. The constitutive model proposed by Ericksen was used to represent the role of fiber additives on the stress tensor. The generalized eigenvalue equation governing the hydrodynamic stability of the system was solved using a direct numerical procedure. The results showed that the fiber additives can suppress the instability of the flow. At the same time, the non-axisymmetric disturbance is the preferred mode that makes the fiber suspensions unstable when the ratio of the angular ve- locity of the outer cylinder to that of the inner cylinder is a large negative number.