Viscous flow through a rotating square channel

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Abstract
Fully developed flow of an incompressible Newtonian fluid driven by a pressure gradient through a square channel that rotates about an axis perpendicular to the channel roof is analyzed here with the aid of the penalty/Galerkin/finite element method. Coriolis force throws fast‐moving fluid in the channel core in the direction of the cross product of the mean fluid velocity with the channel’s angular velocity. Two vortex cells form when convective inertial force is weak. Asymptotic limits of rectilinear flow and geostrophic plug flow are approached when viscous force or Coriolis force dominates, respectively. A flow structure with an ageostrophic, virtually inviscid core is uncovered when Coriolis and convective inertial forces are both strong. This ageostrophic two‐vortex structure becomes unstable when the strength of convective inertial force increases past a critical value. The two‐vortex family of solutions metamorphoses into a family of four‐vortex solutions at an imperfect bifurcation composed of a pair of turning points.

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