The von Kármán (1921) rotating disk problem is extended to the case of flow started impulsively from rest; also, the steady-state problem is solved to a higher degree of accuracy than previously by a simple analytical-numerical method which avoids the matching difficulties in Cochran's (1934) well-known solution. Exact representations of the non-steady velocity field and pressure are given by suitable power-series expansions in the angle of rotation, Ωt, with coefficients that are functions of a similarity variable. The first four equations for velocity coefficient functions are solved exactly in closed form, and the next six by numerical integration. This gives four terms in the series for the primary flow and three terms in each series for the secondary flow.

The results indicate that the asymptotic steady state is approached after about 2 radians of the disk's motion and that it can be approximately obtained from the initial-value, time-dependent analysis. Furthermore, the non-steady flow has three phases, the first two of which are accurately and fully described with the terms computed. During the first-half radian (phase 1), the velocity field is essentially similar in time, with boundary-layer thickening the only significant effect. For 0·5 [lsim ] Ωt [lsim ] 1·5 (phase 2), boundary-layer growth continues at a slower rate, but simultaneously the velocity profiles adjust towards the shape of the ultimate steady-state profiles. At about Ωt = 1·5, some flow quantities overshoot the steady-state values by small amounts. In analogy with the ‘Greenspan-Howard problem’ (1963) it is believed that the third phase (Ωt > 1·5) consists of a small amplitude decaying oscillation about the steady-state solution.