A divergence-free spectral expansions method for three-dimensional flows in spherical-gap geometries (Q1326671)

A spectral method for the solution of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in spherical-gap geometries is presented. The method uses divergence-free vector expansions which inherently satisfy the boundary conditions. Basis and test functions are constructed from Chebyshev polynomials and vector spherical harmonics yielding a Petrov-Galerkin weighted-residual method that produces spectral convergence. No rotational nor equatorial symmetry of the flow field is implicitly imposed. Axisymmetric, basic spherical Couette flow computations are compared with available numerical results while a three-dimensional spiral Taylor-Görtler vortex flow simulation is tested against experimental measurements. Very good agreement is found in all cases.