A systematic account of the theory and modelling of rotating fluids that highlights the remarkable advances in the area and brings researchers and postgraduate students in atmospheres, oceanography, geophysics, astrophysics and engineering to the frontiers of research. Sufficient mathematical and numerical detail is provided in a variety of geometries such that the analysis and results can be readily reproduced, and many numerical tables are included to enable readers to compare or benchmark their own calculations. Traditionally, there are two disjointed topics in rotating fluids: convective fluid motion driven by buoyancy, discussed by Chandrasekhar (1961), and inertial waves and precession-driven flow, described by Greenspan (1968). Now, for the first time in book form, a unified theory is presented for three topics - thermal convection, inertial waves and precession-driven flow - to demonstrate that these seemingly complicated, and previously disconnected, problems become mathematically simple in the framework of an asymptotic approach that incorporates the essential characteristics of rotating fluids.

Approx.440 pages

Rotating flow is critically important across a wide range of scientific, engineering and product applications, providing design and modeling capability for diverse products such as jet engines, pumps and vacuum cleaners, as well as geophysical flows.Developed over the course of 20 years' research into rotating fluids and associated heat transfer at the University of Sussex Thermo-Fluid Mechanics Research Centre (TFMRC), Rotating Flow is an indispensable reference and resource for all those working within the gas turbine and rotating machinery industries.Traditional fluid and flow dynamics titles offer the essential background but generally include very sparse coverage of rotating flows—which is where this book comes in. Beginning with an accessible introduction to rotating flow, recognized expert Peter Childs takes you through fundamental equations, vorticity and vortices, rotating disc flow, flow around rotating cylinders and flow in rotating cavities, with an introduction to atmospheric and oceanic circulations included to help deepen understanding.Whilst competing resources are weighed down with complex mathematics, this book focuses on the essential equations and provides full workings to take readers step-by-step through the theory so they can concentrate on the practical applications. - A detailed yet accessible introduction to rotating flows, illustrating the differences between flows where rotation is significant and highlighting the non-intuitive nature of rotating flow fields - Written by world-leading authority on rotating flow, Peter Childs, making this a unique and authoritative work - Covers the essential theory behind engineering applications such as rotating discs, cylinders, and cavities, with natural phenomena such as atmospheric and oceanic flows used to explain underlying principles - Provides a rigorous, fully worked mathematical account of rotating flows whilst also including numerous practical examples in daily life to highlight the relevance and prevalence of different flow types - Concise summaries of the results of important research and lists of references included to direct readers to significant further resources

Aimed at graduate students and researchers in mathematics, engineering, oceanography, meteorology and mechanics, this text provides a detailed introduction to the physical theory of rotating fluids, a significant part of geophysical fluid dynamics. The Navier-Stokes equations are examined in both incompressible and rapidly rotating forms.