Experimental study of an impinging jet with different swirl rates

A stereo PIV technique using advanced pre- and post-processing algorithms is implemented for the experimental study of the local structure of turbulent swirling impinging jets. The main emphasis of the present work is the analysis of the influence of swirl rate on the flow structure. During measurements, the Reynolds number was 8900, the nozzle-to-plate distance was equal to three nozzle diameters and the swirl rate was varied from 0 to 1.0. For the studied flows, spatial distributions of the mean velocity and statistical moments (including triple moments) of turbulent pulsations were measured.

The influence of the PIV finite spatial resolution on the measured dissipation rate and velocity moments was analyzed and compared with theoretical predictions. For this purpose, a special series of 2D PIV measurements was carried out with vector spacing up to several Kolmogorov lengthscales.

All terms of the axial mean momentum and the turbulent kinetic energy budget equations were obtained for the cross-section located one nozzle diameter from the impinging plate. For the TKE budget, the dissipation term was directly calculated from the instantaneous velocity fields, thereby allowing the pressure diffusion term to be found as a residual one. It was found that the magnitude of pressure diffusion decreased with the growth of the swirl rate. In general, the studied swirling impinging jets had a greater spread rate and a more rapid decay in absolute velocity when compared to the non-swirling jet.     

旋流燃烧室内湍流燃烧速度场的实验研究

建立了采用分级进风方式的同轴射流旋流燃烧室实验装置，选用耐高温的氧化铝细粉作为示踪粒子，实现了用三维激光粒子动态分析仪(PDA)测量湍流旋流燃烧的热态瞬时速度场．在分级进风比率和旋流致不同的3组实验工况条件下，得到了气体时均轴向与切向速度、轴向与切向脉动速度均方根值和轴向—切向脉动速度二阶关联量的分布．     

Mass and momentum transport in the near field of swirling turbulent jets. Effect of swirl rate

Local transport of the flow momentum and scalar admixture in the near-field of turbulent swirling jets (Re = 5,000) has been investigated by using a combination of the particle image velocimetry and planar laser-induced fluorescence methods. Advection and turbulent and molecular diffusions are evaluated based on the measured distributions of the mean velocity and concentration and the Reynolds stresses and fluxes. As has been quantified from the data, the flow swirl intensifies the entrainment of the surrounding fluid and promotes mass and momentum exchange in the outer mixing layer. A superimposed swirl results in the appearance of a wake/recirculation region at the jet axis and, consequently, the formation of an inner shear layer. In contrast to the scalar admixture, the momentum exchange in the inner shear layer is found to be strongly intensified by the swirl. For the jet with the highest considered swirl rate, a substantial portion of the surrounding fluid is found to enter the unsteady central recirculation zone, where it mixes with the jet that is issued from the nozzle. The contribution of the coherent velocity fluctuations, which are induced by large-scale vortex structures, to the turbulent transport has been evaluated based on triple decomposition, which was based on proper orthogonal decomposition analysis of the velocity data sets. For the considered domain of the jet with the highest swirl rate and vortex breakdown, the contributions of detected helical vortex structures, inducing pressing vortex core, to the radial fluxes of the flow momentum and the scalar admixture are found to locally exceed 65% and 80%, respectively.     

Experiments on dynamic behavior of near-field region in variable property jet with swirling flow

The dynamic behavior of the near-field region in a coaxial variable property jet has been experimentally investigated under a swirling flow produced by rotating cylindrical inner and outer tubes, focusing on how the swirl of the outer jet affects the formation of a stagnation point in the swirling inner jet. The inner and outer jets rotate in the same direction. Air, CO₂, or He is issued from the inner tube as a variable property jet, and air is issued from the outer tube in this work. In the case of a CO₂ jet (a high-density, low-viscosity gas jet), a stagnation point flow is more easily formed than in the case of an air jet, and the stagnation point location is significantly lower than in that of the air jet. When the swirl of the outer jet is introduced, a stagnation point flow is more easily formed than in the case of a nonswirling outer jet, and the stagnation point location is much lower than in the case of a nonswirling outer jet. In the case of a He jet (a low-density and high-viscosity gas jet), the inner jet does not have a stagnation point flow, and its overall behavior remains nearly unchanged even under high swirl numbers of the inner and outer jets. These results clearly show that the density and viscosity differences between the inner and outer jets have a significant impact on the dynamic behavior of the near-field region in the coaxial swirling jet. The significant lowering of the stagnation point location can be physically explained by considering the theoretical equation obtained in this work.     

Reynolds stress modelling of jet and swirl interaction inside a gas turbine combustor

Influences of the inlet swirl levels on the interaction between the dilution air jets and the swirling cross‐flow to the interior flow field inside a gas turbine combustor were investigated numerically by Reynolds stress transport model (RSTM). Due to the intense swirl and jet interaction, a high level of swirl momentum is transported to the centreline and hence, an intense vortex core is formed. The strength of the centreline vortex core was found to depend on the inlet swirl levels. For the higher swirling inlet, the decay of the swirling motion causes strong streamline variation of pressure; and consequently leads to an elevated level of deceleration of its axial velocity. Predictions contrasted with measurements indicate that the stress model reproduces the flow correctly and is able to reflect the influences of inlet swirl levels on the interior flow structure. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Active Control of Swirling Coaxial Jet Mixing with Manipulation of Large-Scale Vortical Structures

Large-scale vortical structures and associated mixing in methane/air swirling coaxial jets are actively controlled by manipulating the outer shear layer of the outer swirling coaxial jet with miniature flap actuators. In order to investigate the control mechanisms, stereoscopic particle image verocimetry (stereo-PIV) and plannar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) techniques are employed. It is found that intense vortex rings are produced in the outer shear layer in phase with the periodic flap motion regardless of the swirl number examined. The vortical structures in the inner shear layer, however, are strongly dependent on the swirl rate. This is because the central methane jet is accelerated by the negative axial pressure gradient, of which strength is determined by the swirl. As a result, the inner vortex formation is significantly suppressed at a higher swirl rate. On the other hand, at a relatively low swirl rate, the inner vortices are shed continuously and the methane jet is pinched off. This particular mode promotes the mixing of methane and air, so that the flammable mixture can be formed at an earlier stage of the jet flow development. In addition, the evolution of secondary streamwise vortices is prompted by the combination of the periodic vortex ring shedding and the swirl. They also contribute to the mixing enhancement in the downstream region.     

An experimental study of the under-expanded swirling jet with secondary coaxial stream

The present study addresses experimental results for investigating the details of the near field flow characteristics produced in an under-expanded, dual, coaxial, swirling jet. The under-expanded swirling jet is discharged from a sonic inner nozzle. An outer annular nozzle produces co- and counter-swirling streams relative to the inner primary swirling jet. The interaction between both the outer annular swirling stream and inner under-expanded swirling jet is quantified by impact and static pressure measurements, and visualized by using the shadowgraph method. Experiments are performed for several different pressure ratios. The results show that the outer secondary co-swirling jet significantly changes the structure of the inner under-expanded swirling jet, such as the shock structures and the recirculation region generated at the jet axis. The effect of the outer secondary stream on the major structures of the inner primary swirling jet is strongly dependent on the pressure ratio of the inner swirling jet, regardless of the swirl direction of the outer stream.Received: 17 May 2004, Accepted: 27 September 2004, Published online: 26 November 2004[/PUBLISHED]H.D. Kim: Correspondence to     

Investigation of noise generation by turbulent jets on the basis of numerical simulation of unsteady flow in mixing layers

In the previous experimental studies it was concluded that the turbulent jet noise is produced by large-scale motions in the mixing layer induced by turbulence intermittence. The burden of this numerical simulation is the validation of these conclusions. As a result of numerical calculations, the “instantaneous” flow patterns and the parameter distributions in the initial regions of turbulent jets are obtained. On the basis of this information the flow dynamics are investigated. In the jet flow there are observable slowly transforming low static pressure regions and zones of elevated static pressure. These regions are displaced at the convection velocity. The inflow induced by the low pressure in the mixing layer has streamlines entering into the low pressure zones and flowing around the elevated pressure zones. The motion of the zones of the static pressure varying along the flow produces velocity disturbances in the induced external flow. The succession of the transformations of the intermittence-induced static pressure disturbances into sound waves is determined. This transformation occurs in the regions occupied by the ejected air.     

Buoyancy effects on turbulent swirling flows

A three-parameter model of turbulence applicable to free boundary layers has been developed and applied for the prediction of axisymmetric turbulent swirling flows in uniform and stagnant surroundings under the action of buoyancy forces. The turbulent momentum and heat fluxes appearing in the time-averaged equations for the mean motion have been determined from algebraic expressions, derived by neglecting the convection and diffusion terms in the differential transport equations for these quantities, which relate the turbulent fluxes to the kinetic energy of turbulence, k, the dissipation length scale of turbulence, L, and the temperature covariance, T ′². Differential transport equations have been used to determine these latter quantities. The governing equations have been solved using fully implicit finite difference schemes. The turbulence model is capable of reproducing the gross features of pure jet flows, buoyant flows and swirling flows for weak and moderate swirl. The behaviour of a turbulent buoyant swirling jet has been found to depend solely on exit swirl and Froude numbers. The predicted results indicate that the incorporation of buoyancy can cause significant changes in the behaviour of a swirling jet, particularly when the buoyancy strength is high. The jet exhibits similarity behaviour in the initial region for weak swirl and weak buoyancy strengths only, and the asymptotic case of a swirling jet under the action of buoyancy forces is a pure plume in the far field. The predicted results have been found to be in satisfactory agreement with the available experimental data and in good qualitative agreement with other predicted results.     

Jet characteristics in confined swirling flow

Jets in confined swirling flow are investigated in a facility where the swirling flow in the tube is produced by a vane-type swirler. The jet is located centrally in the swirler, and the diameter ratio of the tube to the jet is 14. Both the jet and the swirling flow are fully turbulent. Results show that the confined jet is highly dissipative in nature. Consequently, the flow in the tube does not resemble a free jet with axial pressure gradient. The presence of swirl increases the rate of dissipation and the jet decays even faster. A fairly isotropic turbulence field is observed in the confined swirling flow. However, the introduction of the jet does not significantly affect this behavior and near isotropy of the turbulence field is again observed at 30 jet diameters downstream.     

水下欠膨胀高速气体射流的实验研究

采用实验途径研究了下水高速气体射流的动力学特性,研制了水下高速气体射流实验系统并发展了相应的测试手段。实验中,用插入式静压探针测量了射流轴线静压分布;用γ射线衰减法测量了径向空隙率分布,从而揭示了水下高速气体射流均压和掺混两个过程的基本规律。测量结果表明：水下高速气体射流在欠膨胀工况下运行时,近场将出现含有复杂波系结构的膨胀压缩区域,由于气水的掺混作用,水下欠膨胀气体射流均压化过程比空气中衰减得快。测量结果还表明,水下射流在近场区的混合层由气水两相占据,其流态从靠近气体侧的液滴流型过渡到靠近液体侧的气泡流型。     

Application of PDF Modeling to Swirling and Nonswirling Turbulent Jets

The turbulence modeling in probability density function (PDF) methods is studied through applications to turbulent swirling and nonswirling co-axial jets and to the temporal shear layer. The PDF models are formulated at the level of either the joint PDF of velocity and turbulent frequency or the joint PDF of velocity, wave vector, and turbulent frequency. The methodology of wave vector models (WVMs) is based on an exact representation of rapidly distorted homogeneous turbulence, and several models are constructed in a previous paper [1]. A revision to a previously presented conditional-mean turbulent frequency model [2] is constructed to improve the numerical implementation of the model for inhomogeneous turbulent flows. A pressure transport model is also implemented in conjunction with several velocity models. The complete model yields good comparisons with available experimental data for a low swirl case. The individual models are also assessed in terms of their significance to an accurate solution of the co-axial jets, and a comparison is made to a similar assessment for the temporal shear layer. The crucial factor in determining the quality of the co-axial jet simulations is demonstrated to be the proper specification of a parameter ratio in the modeled source of turbulent frequency. The parameter specification is also shown to be significant in the temporal shear layer.     

An experimental study of fluid flow and heat transfer in decaying swirl through a heated annulus

The mean and turbulent structures of turbulent swirling flow in a heated annulus have been measured. Both forced and free vortex swirling flows were generated, and the outer wall of the test section was heated uniformly. The maximum swirl number was 1.39, Reynolds numbers were up to 200000, and heat input was 10.5 kW. Mean and turbulent velocity components, air and wall temperatures, and wall static pressures were all measured. Hot-film techniques were developed to measure turbulence. From these parameters, the flow and temperature fields, pressure distribution, and heat transfer coefficients were determined. The mechanisms of heat transfer were identified.     

Investigation of unsteady processes,flow properties,and tonal acoustic radiation of a swirling jet

The results of an investigation of the unsteady flow structure in a turbulent swirling jet obtained using the PIV technology are presented. The greater part of the measurements is carried out at the swirl intensity W ₀ ≈ 1.7. A part of the data is obtained under other conditions of the swirl jet outflow. To establish the relation between disturbances of different types the phase averaging technique is employed with the pressure fluctuation in the acoustic field of the jet taken as a reference signal. The flow structure is numerically calculated. The results of the investigation show that a quasisteady inhomogeneity observable in the jet flow executes rotational motion relative to the mean flowfield in the jet cross-section, or “precession”. It causes disturbances in the flow ejected by the jet, which transform into acoustic disturbances far away from the jet. The frequencies of the dynamic disturbances near the jet and the acoustic disturbances far away from it coincide with the precession frequency.     

Swirling and Impinging Effects in an Annular Nonpremixed Jet Flame

The effects of swirl and downstream wall confinement on an annular nonpremixed flame were investigated using direct numerical simulation (DNS). Fully three-dimensional parallel DNS was performed employing high-order numerical methods and high-fidelity boundary conditions to solve governing equations for variable-density flow and finite-rate Arrhenius chemistry. Three swirl numbers have been examined: 0 (without swirl), 0.4 and 0.8, while the effects of downstream wall confinement have been examined for swirl numbers 0 and 0.4. Results have been presented in terms of instantaneous and time-averaged flow quantities, which have also been analysed using energy spectra and proper orthogonal decomposition (POD). Effects of swirl on the fluid dynamic behaviour of the annular nonpremixed flame were found to be significant. The fluid dynamic behaviour of the flame is greatly affected by the interaction between the geometrical recirculation zone (GRZ) near the jet nozzle exit due to the annular configuration, the central recirculation zone (CRZ) associated with swirl, the unsteady vortical structures in the jet column due to the shear instability, and the downstream wall confinement. Depending on the degree of swirl, the GRZ near the burner mouth and the CRZ may co-exist or one zone may be overwhelmed by another. At a moderate swirl number, the co-existence leads to a flame with strong reaction attached to the burner mouth; while at a high swirl number, the CRZ dominates over the GRZ. The precessing vortex core was observed to exist in the swirling flow fields. The Nusselt number distribution of the annular impinging flames differs from that of round impinging jets. The POD analysis revealed that wall effects on the flow field are mainly associated with the higher mode numbers.     

Internal streamwise action of saw-tooth sound waves on turbulent jets

The results of an experimental investigation of the acoustic field produced by turbulent subsonic jets under internal acoustic excitation are presented. It is shown that under the action of saw-tooth finite-amplitude waves the turbulent jets can radiate Mach waves into the ambient medium due to compact acoustic disturbances traveling along the jet at a velocity greater than the speed of sound in the surrounding space.Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Academii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 5, 2004, pp. 153–158. Original Russian Text Copyright © 2004 by Pimshtein.     

Parametric Study of Alternating Flow Patterns in Non-Reacting Multiple-Swirl Flows

Multiple nozzle combustors, under certain conditions, may result in flowfields that differ between nozzles in an alternating pattern. Previous work has provided some clues on the parameters which govern the appearance of this behavior, but there is a lack of systematic studies. A series of non-reacting simulations of adjacent swirling flows is used to investigate the effect of nozzle exit flare angle and swirl number on the presence of the alternating flow pattern. Two-nozzle simulations are shown to accurately predict if an asymmetric flow characteristic appears and are therefore used in the parametric investigation. Alternating flow patterns are predicted at nozzle exit flare angles of 105 degrees (for a swirl number of 0.79) and 120 degrees (for a swirl number of 0.69 and 0.79). Under conditions close to the stability boundary between symmetric and asymmetric flows, the nozzle exit flare and increased swirl number push the shear layers against the dome wall so that the flows between each nozzle are largely opposite in direction. An increase in nozzle exit flare above 120^° results in separated flows exiting from the inlet and a return to a symmetric flow state. This is consistent with a proposed physical mechanism based on hydrodynamic stability in turbulent opposed jets.     

An Experimental Study of the Near-Field Mixing Characteristics of a Swirling Jet

The present experimental investigation is devoted to the mixing characteristics of a passive scalar in the near-field region of a moderately swirling jet issuing from a fully developed axially rotating pipe flow. Instantaneous streamwise and azimuthal velocity components as well as the temperature were simultaneously accessed by means of a combined X-wire and cold-wire probe. The results indicate a modification of the turbulence structures to that effect that the swirling jet spreads, mixes and evolves faster compared to its non-swirling counterpart. The high correlation between streamwise velocity and temperature fluctuations as well as the streamwise passive scalar flux are even more enhanced due to the addition of swirl, which in turn shortens the distance and hence time needed to mix the jet with the ambient air.     

Density effects on jet characteristics in confined swirling flow

Density effects on isothermal jet mixing in confined swirling flow are investigated. The experiment is carried out with helium/air as the jet fluid in the same facility as that used by So et al. (1984a, b) and the test conditions are chosen to be the same as before. Contrary to the homogeneous mixing results, the helium jet is preserved up to 40 jet diameters downstream. The behavior of the mean and turbulence field depends highly on the initial jet velocity. Since the jets are fully turbulent and the jet momentum fluxes for inhomogeneous mixing are less than those for homogeneous mixing, the cause of this difference in behavior is directly attributed to the combined action of density difference and swirl. In spite of this, near isotropy of the turbulence field is again observed at 40 jet diameters downstream.     

Swirl effects on variable-density jet mixing in confined flows

An experimental investigation on swirl effects on inhomogeneous confined jet mixing in a combustor configuration is reported. The confined swirling flow was simulated by a swirler with a central jet mounted in a cyclindrical tube. Helium and air jets set at different velocities were injected into the confined swirling air flow. The resulting flow fields due to two vane swirlers with constant vane angles of 35° and 66° were compared. Results show that the 35° vane swirler produces a solid-body rotation core with a slope about twice that created by the 66° vane swirler. It is the behavior of this solid-body rotation core that determines jet mixing rather than the swirler vane angle. Consequently, the coaxial jet decays much faster, the mixing is more intense, and the turbulence intensities are higher for the 35° vane swirler. In view of these results, combustor designers should be more concerned with behavior of the solid-body rotation core produced by the swirler, instead of the swirler vane angle.