在流体力学中,泰勒-库埃特流由夹在两个旋转圆柱之间缝隙中的粘性流体组成。当角速度较低时,通过测量雷诺数Re,可知这种流动具有稳定性和方位性。这种基本状态被称作环状库埃特流,是因为莫里斯·玛丽·艾尔弗雷德·库埃特曾用这套实验装置测量粘度。杰弗里·英格拉姆·泰勒爵士在一篇破天荒的论文中研究了库埃特流的稳定性，并成为了水力稳定理论发展的奠基石。

泰勒发现，当内筒角速度增大并超过某一临界值时，库埃特流失稳并进入第二稳态——其特点是出现轴对称的环形涡，叫做泰勒涡流。接着增加筒的角速度，系统会经历一个不稳定过程，进入更加混乱的状态，它的下一个状态过程叫做波状涡流。如果两个筒以相反方向旋转，那幺螺旋涡流会出现。当雷诺数超过一定数值时就会出现紊流。

In fluid dynamics, the Taylor–Couette flow consists of a viscous fluid confined in the gap between two rotating cylinders. For low angular velocities, measured by the Reynolds number Re, the flow is steady and purely azimuthal. This basic state is known as circular Couette flow, after Maurice Marie Alfred Couette who used this experimental device as a means to measure viscosity. Sir Geoffrey Ingram Taylor investigated the stability of the Couette flow in a ground-breaking paper which has been a cornerstone in the development of hydrodynamic stability theory.