Vortex dynamics and mass entrainment in turbulent lobed jets with and without lobe deflection angles

Passive control of jet flows in order to enhance mixing and entrainment is of wide applicative interest. Our purpose is to develop new air diffusers for HVAC systems, by using lobed geometry nozzles, in order to ameliorate users the thermal comfort. Two turbulent 6-lobed air jets with and without lobe deflection angles were studied experimentally and compared with a reference circular jet having the same initial Reynolds number. The main objective was to analyze the modifications occurring in the vortex dynamics of the flow, firstly by replacing a circular tube with a straight lobed tube, and secondly by a lobed tube having a double inclination of the lobes. Rapid visualizations of the flows and hot-wire measurements of the streamwise velocity spectra allow understanding the vortex roll-up mechanisms. Unlike the circular jet, where the primary rings are continuous, the Kelvin–Helmholtz vortices in the lobed jet flows were found to be discontinuous. The resulting “ring segments” detach at different frequencies whether they are shed in the lobe troughs or at the lobe sides. One explanation relies on the strong variation of the exit plane curvature. Additionally, a speculative scenario of the vortical dynamics is advanced by the authors. The discontinuous nature of the K–H vortices enables the development of secondary streamwise structures, non-influenced by the passage of the primary structures as in the case of the circular jet. Thus, the momentum flux transport role played by the streamwise structures is rendered more efficient and leads to a spectacular increase in the entrainment rate in the initial region. The amount of fluid being entrained in the lobed jet by the streamwise structures is drastically amplified by the double inclination of the nozzle exit boundary.     

Large Eddy Simulation of Compressible Subsonic Turbulent Jet Starting From a Smooth Contraction Nozzle

Compressible subsonic turbulent starting jet with a relatively large Reynolds number of significant practical importance is investigated using large eddy simulation (LES), starting from a smooth contraction nozzle. The computational domain of truncated conical shape is determined through the comparison of the time-averaged numerical solution with the particle imaging velocimetry measurements for the steady jet. It is shown that the starting jet consists of a leading vortex ring followed by a quasi-steady jet, and the instantaneous velocity field exhibits contraction and expansion zones, corresponding to the high pressure (HP) and low pressure (LP) regions formed by the convecting vortex rings, and are related to the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. The thin boundary layer inside the smooth contraction nozzle evolves into a shear layer at the nozzle exit and develops with the downstream penetration of the jet. Using λ ₂ criterion, the formation and evolution of the vortical structures are temporally visualized, illustrating distortion of vortex rings into lobed shapes prior to break-down. Rib-shape streamwise vortex filaments exist in the braid region between a pair of consecutive vortex rings due to secondary instabilities. Finally, formation and dynamics of hairpin vortices in the shear layer is identified.     

The effect of boundary conditions by the side of the nozzle of a low Reynolds number jet

The near flow field of an axially symmetric water jet at Reynolds numbers from about 1,000 to 10,000 is investigated using laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), laser Doppler anemometry and particle tracking velocimetry. Spanwise and streamwise vortices are detected on the longitudinal plane and on cross-sections. Attention is focused onto the effects of rigid or free boundaries sideways to the nozzle outlet (no-slip or free-slip conditions), and particularly on the start up, growth and interaction of large vortical structures. On average, for the free-slip jet these structures develop more gradually and closer to the nozzle than for the no-slip jet; the local mixedness (derived from LIF measurements) is also higher for the free-slip case. Moreover, the measured velocity field decreases more slowly, with a longer potential core and a higher shear layer (momentum) thickness for the free-slip rather than for the no-slip conditions. The relation between spanwise and streamwise large-scale vortices is clarified by the observation that the ejection of fluid in cross-sections through streamwise vortices is coupled to the pairing of spanwise vortices on the longitudinal section.     

不定原点喷嘴射流中流体物理的实验研究(英文)

为了能够更好地了解不定源喷嘴(indeterminate origin nozzle)射流中的物理过程,本文应用平面激光诱导荧光技术对一个大尺度的水射流进行了实验研究。流场显示的实验结果表明不定源喷嘴在射流的剪切层引入了蘑菇形反向旋转的涡对。这些涡的矢量方向与射流方向相同或相反,被称为流向涡(streamwise vortex)。由于射流中存在开尔文-亥姆霍兹不稳定,每当一个横向涡(spanwise vortex,即涡的矢量方向与射流方向垂直)从喷嘴脱流时会产生瞬时的低压,该瞬时低压促使向内发展的流向涡对在喷嘴的凹槽处生成。这些涡对在向下游流动的过程中会重组并在喷嘴的尖峰面生成向外发展的涡对。这些流向涡极大地影响了射流的发展。流向涡与横向涡的相互作用促使射流更早地发展成为湍流。由于流向涡同时也在射流中引入了径向的剪切流动,因此导致了更多的湍流生成从而增强了射流与周围流体的混合。     

不定原点喷嘴射流中流体物理的实验研究

为了能够更好地了解不定源喷嘴（indeterminate origin nozzle）射流中的物理过程，本文应用平面激光诱导荧光技术对一个大尺度的水射流进行了实验研究。流场显示的实验结果表明不定源喷嘴在射流的剪切层引入了蘑菇形反向旋转的涡对。这些涡的矢量方向与射流方向相同或相反，被称为流向涡（streamwise vortex）。由于射流中存在开尔文一亥姆霍兹不稳定，每当一个横向涡（spanwisevortex，即涡的矢量方向与射流方向垂直）从喷嘴脱流时会产生瞬时的低压，该瞬时低压促使向内发展的流向涡对在喷嘴的凹槽处生成。这些涡对在向下游流动的过程中会重组并在喷嘴的尖峰面生成向外发展的涡对。这些流向涡极大地影响了射流的发展。流向涡与横向涡的相互作用促使射流更早地发展成为湍流。由于流向涡同时也在射流中引入了径向的剪切流动，因此导致了更多的湍流生成从而增强了射流与周围流体的混合。     

The near-field characteristics of circular jets at low Reynolds numbers

An experimental study has been undertaken to investigate the effect of Reynolds number on the near-field region of circular turbulent air jets. Measurements were made using a two-component Laser Doppler Anemometer, and included mean velocity, turbulence intensity, skewness factor, flatness factors and power spectrum. Measurements were taken up to 10 nozzle exit diameter in the downstream direction for different exit Reynolds numbers in the range of 1400 to 20000. The Reynolds number was found to have a strong effect on the jet flow behavior in the near-field region; the centerline velocity decays faster (decay constant = 6.11 for Re = 19400, = 1.35 for Re 1430) and the potential core gets shorter with decreasing Reynolds number. Profile measurements of the skewness and flatness factors indicate that the jet flow becomes more intermittent with decreasing Reynolds number. Power spectrum measurements of the streamwise fluctuating velocities reflects the high energy content of the high Reynolds number jet. It also reveals that there is greater energy at the higher frequencies with increasing Reynolds number.     

Investigation on time scales in a low Reynolds number jet flow using particle-tracking velocimetry

The near flow field of an axisymmetric water jet at Reynolds numbers between 2000 and 5000 is investigated using Particle-Tracking Velocimetry. Measurements are taken in the longitudinal section (along the mean flow) and in cross-sections (orthogonal to the mean flow). From the former, correlation coefficients of the two in-plane velocity components in a Lagrangian framework are obtained: thus Lagrangian integral scales can be computed. Those of the streamwise velocity (axial) component increase on moving away from the centreline, whereas the opposite happens for the vertical velocity (radial) component: integral time scales of the two components are almost equal at the interface between jet and ambient fluids. On the other hand, integral scales are almost constant or increase slightly with the axial direction. In cross-sections, fluid ejection and injection from the jet centreline are observed to be connected to counter-rotating vortices (mushroom): their number and size change with Reynolds number in agreement with results from other authors. The maximum ejection velocity (orthogonal to the mean jet flow), at 3 nozzle diameters downstream of the outlet, is found to be one half of the mean outlet velocity.     

UV-mediated coalescence and mixing of inkjet printed drops

In the present study, the characteristics of supersonic rectangular microjets are investigated experimentally using molecular tagging velocimetry. The jets are discharged from a convergent–divergent rectangular nozzle whose exit height is 500 μm. The jet Mach number is set to 2.0 for all tested jets, and the Reynolds number Re is altered from 154 to 5,560 by changing the stagnation pressure. The experimental results reveal that jet velocity decays principally due to abrupt jet spreading caused by jet instability for relatively high Reynolds numbers (Re > ~450). The results also reveal that the jet rapidly decelerates to a subsonic speed near the nozzle exit for a low Reynolds number (Re = 154), although the jet does not spread abruptly; i.e., a transition in velocity decay processes occurs as the Reynolds number decreases. A supersonic core length is estimated from the streamwise distribution of the centerline velocity, and the length is then normalized by the nozzle exit height and plotted against the Reynolds number. As a result, it is found that the normalized supersonic core length attains a maximum value at a certain Reynolds number near which the transition in the velocity decay process occurs.     

Flow and acoustic features of a supersonic tapered nozzle

The acoustic and flow characteristics of a supersonic tapered jet were measured for free and shrouded flow configurations. Measurements were performed for a full range of pressure ratios including over- and underexpanded and design conditions. The supersonic tapered jet is issued from a converging-diverging nozzle with a 31 rectangular slotted throat and a conical diverging section leading to a circular exit. The jet was compared to circular and rectangular supersonic jets operating at identical conditions. The distinct feature of the jet is the absence of screech tones in the entire range of operation. Its near-field pressure fluctuations have a wide band spectrum in the entire range of measurements, for Mach numbers of 1 to 2.5, for over- and underexpanded conditions. The free jet's spreading rate is nearly constant and similar to the rectangular jet, and in a shroud, the pressure drop it is inducing is linearly proportional to the primary jet Mach number. This behavior persisted in high adverse pressure gradients at overexpanded conditions, and with nozzle divergence angles of up to 35°, no inside flow separation was observed.     

The Relaminarization Mechanisms of Turbulent Channel Flow at Low Reynolds Numbers

The mechanisms of laminarization in wall-bounded flows have been investigated by performing direct numerical simulations (DNS) of turbulent channel flows. By decreasing Reynolds numbers systematically, the effects of the low Reynolds number are studied in connection with the near-wall turbulent structure and turbulent statistics. At approximately the critical Reynolds number, the turbulent skin friction is reduced, and the turbulent structure changes qualitatively in the very near-wall region. Instantaneous turbulent structures reveal that streamwise vortices, the cores of which are at y+ 10, disappear, although low speed streaks and Reynolds shear stress are still produced by larger streamwise vortices located in the buffer region y+ > 10. Sweep motions induced by these vortical structures are shifted toward the center of a channel and also significantly deterred, which may heighten the effects of the viscous sublayer over most of the channel section and suppress the regeneration mechanisms of new streamwise vortices in the very near-wall region. To investigate the details of how large-scale coherent vortices affect the viscous sublayer and the relevant small-scale streamwise vortices, a body force is virtually imposed in the wall-normal direction to enhance the large streamwise vortices. As a result, it is found that when they are sufficiently enhanced, the small-scale vortices reappear, and the sweep events are again dominant in the viscous sublayer.     

Influence of spanwise pitch on local heat transfer distribution for in-line arrays of circular jets with spent air flow in two opposite directions

Effect of spanwise jet-to-jet spacing on local heat transfer distribution due to an in-line rectangular array of confined multiple circular air jets impinging on a surface parallel to the jet plate are studied experimentally. Length-to-diameter ratio of nozzles of the jet plate is 1.0. The flow, after impingement, is constrained to exit in two opposite directions from the confined passage formed between jet plate and target plate. Mean jet Reynolds numbers based on the nozzle exit diameter (d) covered are 3000, 5000, 7500 and 10,000 and jet-to-plate spacings studied are d, 2d and 3d. Spanwise pitches considered are 2d, 4d and 6d in steps of 2d keeping the streamwise pitch at 5d. For all the configurations, the jet-plates have ten spanwise rows in streamwise direction and six jets in each spanwise row. Flat heat transfer surface is made of thin stainless steel metal foil. Local temperature distribution on a target plate is measured using thermal infrared camera. Wall static pressure on the target plate is measured in the streamwise direction to estimate crossflow velocities and individual jet velocities. Heat transfer characteristics are explained on the basis of the flow distribution. A simple correlation to predict streamwise distribution of heat transfer coefficients averaged over each spanwise strip resolved to one jet hole is developed.     

Transition phenomena in the wake of an inclined square cylinder

The division of flow regimes in a square cylinder wake at various angles of attack (α) is studied. This study provides evidence of the existence of modes A and B instabilities in the wake of an inclined square cylinder. The critical Reynolds numbers for the inception of these instability modes were identified through the determination of discontinuities in the Strouhal number versus Reynolds number curves. The spectra and time traces of wake streamwise velocity were observed to display three distinct patterns in different flow regimes. Streamwise vortices with different wavelengths at various Reynolds numbers were visualized. A PIV technique was employed to quantitatively measure the parameters of wake vortices. The wavelengths of the streamwise vortices in the modes A and B regimes were measured by using the auto-correlation method. From the present investigation, the square cylinder wake at various angles of attack undergoes a similar transition path to that of a circular cylinder, although various quantitative parameters measured which include the critical Reynolds numbers, spanwise wavelength of secondary vortices, and the circulation and vorticity of wake vortices all show an α dependence.     

Three-dimensional vortex dynamics and convective heat transfer in circular and chevron impinging jets

This paper describes an experimental investigation at Reynolds number equal to 5000 on circular and chevron impinging jets by means of time-resolved tomographic particle image velocimetry (TR-TOMO PIV) and infrared (IR) thermography. TR-TOMO PIV experiments are performed at kilo-hertz repetition rate in a tailored water jet facility where a plate is placed at a distance of 4 diameters from the nozzle exit. Using air as working fluid, time-averaged convective heat transfer is measured on the impinged plate by means of IR thermography with the heated-thin-foil heat transfer sensor for nozzle-to-plate distances ranging from 2 to 10 diameters. The circular impingement shows the shedding and pairing of axisymmetric toroidal vortices with the later growth of azimuthal instabilities and counter-rotating streamwise vortices. In the chevron case, instead, the azimuthal coherence is replaced by counter-rotating pairs of streamwise vortices that develop from the chevron notches. The heat transfer performances of the chevron impingement are compared with those of the circular one, analyzing the influence of the nozzle-to-plate distance on the distribution of Nusselt number. The chevron configuration leads to enhanced heat transfer performances for all the nozzle-to-plate distances hereby investigated with improvements up to 44% at the center of the impinged area for nozzle-to-plate distance of 4. Such enhancements are discussed in relation to the streamwise structures that, compared with the toroidal vortices, are associated with an earlier penetration of turbulence towards the jet axis and a higher arrival speed.     

Effect of Streamline Curvature on Intensity of Streamwise Vortices in the Mixing Layer of Supersonic Jets

The structure of supersonic nonisobaric jets with Mach numbers M_a = 1 and 2 is considered experimentally to find the effect of streamline curvature on the evolution of streamwise vortices in the mixing layer. The spatial development of steady streamwise vortices in the mixing layer of supersonic jets is considered. A method for generation of steady streamwise vortices by applying microroughness elements of controlled size onto the inner surface of the nozzle is developed. Radial profiles and azimuthal variations of total pressure are obtained; the mixinglayer thickness and the curvature of streamlines in supersonic jets are determined. A significant effect of microroughness elements of prescribed shape located on the nozzle surface on the behavior of total pressure in the mixing layer of supersonic jets, as compared to natural disturbances, is obtained.     

A LES study of the flow interference between tandem square cylinder pairs

The results of an investigation on the interference effects of the tandem square cylinders exposed to a uniform flow are presented in this paper. Time-dependent and three-dimensional flow simulations are carried out using large eddy simulation with a one-equation subgrid model. An incompressible three-dimensional finite volume code with a collocated grid arrangement is used for solving filtered Navier–Stokes equations. These equations are solved with an implicit fractional two-step method. Simulations are conducted with different Reynolds numbers between 10³ and 10⁵. The longitudinal spacing between the cylinders is selected 4D for the chosen Reynolds numbers, where D is the side of the cylinders. Also the effect of the spacing between cylinders, ranging from 1D to 12D, is studied for the selected Reynolds numbers. The instantaneous flow field is studied by analyzing the vortices, pressure, streamlines and Q-criterion to assist understanding of the various flow patterns, vortical structures and Kelvin–Helmholtz vortices in the separating shear layers. The hysteresis is observed in a certain range of the gap spacing, which this range depends on the selected Reynolds number. The global results are also computed and compared with available experimental results. The results indicate that there is a satisfactory agreement between the predictions and available experimental data considering the fine grid adopted.     

Local heat transfer distribution between smooth flat surface and impinging air jet from a circular nozzle at low Reynolds numbers

An experimental investigation is performed to study the effect of jet to plate spacing and low Reynolds number on the local heat transfer distribution to normally impinging submerged circular air jet on a smooth and flat surface. A single jet from a straight circular nozzle of length-to-diameter ratio (l/d) of 83 is tested. Reynolds number based on nozzle exit condition is varied between 500 and 8,000 and jet-to-plate spacing between 0.5 and 8 nozzle diameters. The local heat transfer characteristics are obtained using thermal images from infrared thermal imaging technique. It was observed that at lower Reynolds numbers, the effect of jet to plate distances covered during the study on the stagnation point Nusselt numbers is minimal. At all jet to plate distances, the stagnation point Nusselt numbers decrease monotonically with the maximum occurring at a z/d of 0.5 as opposed to the stagnation point Nusselt numbers at high Reynolds numbers which occur around a z/d of 6.     

Vortex-enhanced mixing through active and passive flow control methods

This study aims to understand the underlying physics of vortex-enhanced mixing through active and passive flow control methods. To find a best flow control method that enhances turbulent mixing through the generation of streamwise vortices, an experimental investigation was carried out to compare active and passive flow control methods of an incompressible axisymmetric jet. For active flow control, the lip of the circular jet was equipped with a single small flap deflected away from the jet stream at an angle of 30° to the jet axis. The flap incorporated a flow control slot through which steady and oscillatory suction were implemented. The active flow control methods require power input to the suction devices. For passive flow control, the lip of the circular jet was equipped with a single small delta tab deflected into the jet stream at an angle of 30° to the jet axis. The chord lengths of the flap and delta tab were one-sixth of the jet diameter. The momentum of jet increased in the case of active flow control by entraining the ambient fluid, whereas momentum decreased in the case of passive flow control. The effect of steady suction saturated for volumetric suction coefficient values greater than 0.82 %. The strength of streamwise vortices generated by the flap were greater than those generated by the delta tab. Steady suction produced positive pressures just downstream of the flow control slot in the central portion of the flap and negative pressures at the flap edges. Oscillatory suction was highly dependent on dimensionless frequency (F ⁺) based on the distance from the flow control slot to the flap trailing edge; the pressures on the central portion of the flap increased for F ⁺ ≤ 0.11 and then decreased for greater F ⁺; finally attained negative pressures at F ⁺ = 0.44. The increase in jet momentum and turbulence intensity, combined with the induced streamwise vorticity, makes steady suction a potential concept for increasing propulsion efficiency through vortex-enhanced mixing. The flow control methods modify the jet flow, which in turn would alter the jet noise spectra.     

Mechanism of transverse structure formation in supersonic flow past a body

Direct numerical simulation within the framework of the Navier-Stokes equations is applied to study the mechanism of the generation of transverse structures (streamwise vortices) in the problem of supersonic M = 6 flow over a flat plate, when a shock wave is incident on it. The vortices formed at the lateral edges of the plate are shown to be the sources of streamwise streaky structures in the zone of separation of the boundary layer from the plate. Their interaction with the Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices in the region of incidence of the shock on the plate leads to the formation of mushroom-shaped structures (streamwise vortices) similar with the azimuthal Λ-structures in subsonic jets. The plate width effect on the formation and turbulization of the mushroom-shaped structures is considered.     

A flow field study of an elliptic jet in cross flow using DPIV technique

The digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) technique has been used to investigate the flow fields of an elliptic jet in cross flow (EJICF). Two different jet orientations are considered; one with the major axis of the ellipse aligned with the cross flow (henceforth referred to as a low aspect ratio (AR) jet), and the other with the major axis normal to the cross flow (henceforth referred to as a high aspect ratio jet). Results show that the vortex-pairing phenomenon is prevalent in the low aspect ratio jet when the velocity ratio (VR)3, and is absent in the high aspect ratio jet regardless of the velocity ratio. The presence of vortex pairing leads to a substantial increase in the leading-edge peak vorticity compared to the lee-side vorticity, which suggests that vortex pairing may play an important role in the entrainment of ambient fluid into the jet body, at least in the near-field region. In the absence of vortex pairing, both the leading-edge and the lee-side peak vorticity increase monotonically with velocity ratio regardless of the aspect ratio. Moreover, time-averaged velocity fields for both AR=0.5 and AR=2 jets reveal the existence of an unstable focus (UF) downstream of the jet, at least for VR2. The strength and the location of this focus is a function of both the velocity ratio and aspect ratio. In addition, time-averaged vorticity fields show a consistently higher peak-averaged vorticity in the low aspect ratio jet than in the high aspect ratio jet. This behavior could be due to a higher curvature of the vortex filament facing the cross flow in the low aspect ratio jet, which through mutual interaction may lead to higher vortex stretching, and therefore higher peak-averaged vorticity.Nomenclature A nozzle or jet cross-sectional area - AR aspect ratio, defined as the ratio of the nozzle cross-stream dimension to its streamwise dimension, =H/L - D characteristic jet diameter (for circular jet only) - D_h hydraulic diameter, =4A/P - D_major major axis of an elliptic nozzle - D_minor minor axis of an elliptic nozzle - H cross-stream dimension of the nozzle - L streamwise dimension of the nozzle - P perimeter of the nozzle - Re_j jet Reynolds number, =V_jD/ - VR velocity ratio, =V_j/V - V_j mean jet velocity - V mean cross-flow velocity - x downstream distance from jet center - X cross-plane vorticity - kinematic viscosity     

Direct Numerical Simulation of a Square Jet Ejected Transversely into an Accelerating, Laminar Main Flow

A numerical simulation of a square jet ejected transversely into a laminar boundary-layer flow was performed at a jet-to-main-flow velocity ratio of 9.78 and jet Reynolds number of 6330. The jet consisted of a single pulse with a duration equal to the time required for the jet fluid to travel 173 jet widths. A strongly-favourable streamwise pressure gradient was applied to the boundary layer and produced a freestream acceleration that is above the typical threshold required for relaminarization. The results of the simulation illustrate the effect of the favourable streamwise pressure gradient on the flowfield created by the transverse jet. Notably, the horseshoe vortex system created upwind of the jet remains steady in time and does not induce noticeable fluctuations in the jet flow. The upwind and downwind shear layers of the jet roll-up through a Kelvin–Helmholtz-like instability into discrete shear-layer vortices. Jet vorticity in the upwind and downwind shear layers accumulates near the corners of the jet and produces two sets of vortex pairs, the former of which couple with the shear-layer vortices to produce large, counter-rotating vortices in the freestream, while the latter are unstable and periodically produce hairpin vortices in the main-flow boundary layer and elongated vortices in the freestream behind the jet. The departure of the jet flowfield from the vortical structures typically observed in transverse jets illustrates the substantive effect of the favourable streamwise pressure gradient on the flowfield created by the jet.