Studies on freejets from radially lobed nozzles

The freejet characteristics of radially lobed nozzles were studied experimentally. Schlieren photographs of the freejets revealed that the lobes of the nozzles gave rise to alternate expansion-compression regions. For two of the lobed nozzles the potential core was reduced by a factor of three relative to the conical nozzle tested. The jet spread and the shear layer thickness of the lobed nozzles were considerably higher than those for the conical nozzle. The jet width and the shear layer thickness were higher in the major plane; however, the shear layer growth rate was higher in the minor plane of the lobed nozzles. Jet axial thrust measurements revealed a thrust loss of 14% for two of the lobed nozzles tested.     

Centreline mixing characteristics of jets from nine differently shaped nozzles

 The centreline mixing characteristics of jets from nozzles with nine different cross-sectional shapes are compared. It is shown that the breakdown of axisymmetry of the initial jet configuration generally results in increased mean-velocity decay and increased RMS fluctuations. Received: 23 February 1999/Accepted: 7 May 1999     

Particle image velocimetry investigation on mixing enhancement of non-circular sharp edge nozzles

An experimental study using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) on free jets issuing from different orifice plate (OP) nozzles is reported. Mean velocity, turbulence intensity and higher order profiles relevant for large and small scale mixing are considered in the near field and interaction zone (0 < X/D < 20). This is done to determine mixing enhancement due to rectangular, squared, elliptic and triangular nozzles in comparison to circular nozzle results in two orthogonal planes. The effect of Reynolds number on the differences among the nozzle shapes is also considered by performing measurements just after laminar–turbulent transition (Re = 8000) and in the fully turbulent regime (Re = 35,000). The results at low Reynolds number show two classes of jets, i.e. at one side, those closer to axial-symmetric conditions, as circular, square and triangular jets, whereas on the other side those with elongated nozzles as rectangular and elliptic. The reason for the different behavior of the latter is connected to the phenomenon of axis-switching which allows a rearrangement of turbulence over the different velocity components and directions. However, for the highest Reynolds number investigated, all nozzles show similar behavior especially in the jet far field (X/D > 10), thus suggesting a significant Reynolds number dependence of the results.     

Turbulent liquid metal flow in rectangular shaped contraction nozzles for target applications

Owing to the high beam power densities envisaged in advanced nuclear targets, liquid metal-operated free surface targets are conceived as one feasible option. There, the free surface is formed by an adequately shaped upstream located nozzle. Target boundary conditions necessitate a detailed knowledge on the turbulent flow in contraction nozzles in order to identify turbulence models accurately predicting experimental findings within the velocity range of interest for nuclear target and hence can then act as design optimisation tools. In this context, a combined experimental and numerical study is conducted on the basis of the turbulent flow in the contraction nozzle of the Super-FRS target. Two aspects determining the turbulent flow in the nozzle have been investigated. The first is a potential relaminarisation of the boundary layer caused by the acceleration within the contraction and the second is a development of the secondary flows due to the pressure gradient in the rectangular shaped ducts cross-section. Regarding the three different turbulence models investigated here only the V2F model exhibited the capability to predict the relaminarisation of the turbulent boundary layer both qualitatively and quantitatively. All turbulence models are able to predict the development of secondary flows induced by pressure gradients in transverse direction with an acceptable accuracy.     

Critical gas outflow from nozzles

The possibility of critical gas flow from Laval nozzles in overexpanded regimes behind a bridge shock is investigated theoretically with and without allowance for viscous mixing at the edge of the jet. The influence of the mixing effect and flow separation from the nozzle walls on the critical flow conditions is analyzed. It is shown experimentally that these regimes coincide closely with the displacement of the normal shock to the nozzle exit and cessation of the emission by the jet of a discrete tone. Mariupol. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 4, pp. 180–184, July–August, 1994.     

Electrically-excited (electroosmotic) flows in microchannels for mixing applications

We propose an asymptotic model for quite general liquid microchannel flows in the presence of electrical double layers (EDLs). The model provides an “inner” solution for the wall layer, which reflects the dominant balance between electrical forces and viscous forces (tangentially), respectively between electrical forces and pressure and viscous forces (normally). The electrically-neutral core of the flow is governed by the standard Navier–Stokes equations, providing the “outer” solution. The asymptotic matching of both solutions provides a method for the simplified numerical treatment of such EDLs. The superposition of the solutions in both regions then allows to infer an approximate solution, valid within the entire domain.Based on this model, we apply external oscillatory electrical fields to excite secondary flows (i) in microchannels with an internal obstacle or (ii) in folded (meander) microchannels. These secondary flows are demonstrated to greatly enhance the mixing of two liquids flowing in a layered fashion through these microchannels. Thus, electrical excitation has considerable potential if micromixers for ionic liquids are designed within electrically-insulating (e.g. plastics, glass) substrates.     

An experimental study on jets issuing from elliptic inclined nozzles

This paper reports on an experimental flow visualisation and digital particle image velocimetry investigation on forced jets exhausting from aspect ratio equal to three elliptic nozzles with exits inclined at 30° and 60°. Flow images show that shear layer instabilities and subsequent vortex roll-ups are formed parallel to the inclined nozzle exits at 30° incline and that rapid re-orientation of the vortex roll-ups occurs at 60° incline. Flow observations also show that strong axis-switching occurs in a non-inclined elliptic nozzle. However, 30° and 60° elliptic inclined nozzles produce significant distortions to and suppression of the axis-switching behaviour, respectively. As a result, flow stresses and turbulent kinetic energy distributions become increasingly asymmetric. Their coherency and magnitudes along the shorter nozzle lengths also vary significantly. This can be attributed to the dissimilar formations of vortex roll-ups and rib structures, as well as unequal mutual interactions between them as the incline-angle increases. Lastly, results also show that unlike circular inclined nozzles, elliptic inclined nozzles do not produce serpentine-shaped jet columns nor lead to significant lateral jet-spread at large incline-angles.     

Nonlinear dynamics of self-organising bubble departures from twin nozzles

Meccanica - The nonlinear dynamics of self-organising bubble departures from twin nozzles in engine oils was analysed. Air bubbles were generated from twin brass nozzles with an inner diameter...     

Shock wave-induced vortex loops emanating from nozzles with singular corners

The focus of the current study is to examine experimentally the diffracted shock wave pattern and the consequent vortex loop formation, propagation, and decay from nozzles having singular corners. Non-intrusive qualitative and quantitative techniques: schlieren, shadowgraphy, and particle image velocimetry (PIV) are employed to analyze the induced flow-fields. Eye-shaped nozzles were used with the corner joints representing singularities. The length of the minor axes are a = 6 and 15 mm, with the major axis b = 30 mm for both cases. The experiments are performed for flow Reynolds numbers in the range 0.8 × 10⁵ and 4.6 × 10⁵. Air is used in both driver and driven sections of the shock tube.     

An experimental investigation of underexpanded jets from oval sonic nozzles

 Underexpanded jets from oval sonic nozzles were experimentally studied for various pressure ratios up to 20.3. The results revealed that the barrel type of shock structure was present only in the major axis plane except at low aspect ratios. The results also revealed that the jet spreading rate in the minor axis plane of the nozzle was much higher compared to that in the major axis plane, resulting in axis switching of jets. The cross sectional area of these jets were considerably higher compared to the axisymmetric jets indicating higher interface area for viscous mixing in the near field region and increased mixing in the far field region clear of shock structure. Received: 7 January 1997 / Accepted: 7 August 1997     

Pitot pressures of correctly-expanded and underexpanded free jets from axisymmetric supersonic nozzles

The structures of the axisymmetric free jets from supersonic nozzles with the exit Mach numbers of 1.5 and 2.0 are studied with special attention to the decay of the Pitot pressures downstream of the Mach disk. The Pitot pressure probe and schlieren method are used in the experiments to diagnose the flowfield. A TVD numerical method is also applied to the Euler equations, and the computed jet structures are compared with experiments. In the underexpanded jet, the experimentally obtained Pitot pressure near the jet centerline is found to substantially recover downstream of the Mach disk. By comparing the numerical computation, this phenomenon is thought to be caused by the turbulent momentum transfer to the central region from the region outside the slip line where the stagnation pressure loss is small.     

Large area impingement spray cooling from multiple normal and inclined spray nozzles

An inclined spray chamber with four multiple nozzles to cool a 1 kW 6U electronic test card has been designed and tested in this study. The multiple inclined sprays can cover the same heated surface area as that with the multiple normal sprays but halve the volume of the spray chamber. The spray cooling system used R134a as a working fluid in a modified refrigeration cycle. It is observed that increasing mass flow rate and pressure drop across the nozzles improved the heat transfer coefficient with a maximum enhancement of 117 %, and reduced the maximum temperature difference at the heated surface from 13.8 to 8.4 °C in the inclined spray chamber with a heat flux of 5.25 W/cm², while the heat transfer coefficient of the normal spray increased with a maximum enhancement of 215 % and the maximum temperature difference decreased from 10.8 to 5.4 °C under similar operating conditions. We conclude that the multiple inclined sprays could produce a higher heat transfer coefficient but with an increase in non-uniformity of the surface temperature compared with the multiple normal sprays.     

Studies of DDT enhancement approaches for kerosene-fueled small-scale pulse detonation engines applications

Two-phase small-scale pulse detonation engine (SPDE) offers a competitive alternative for small-scale propulsion systems from a high cycle efficiency and structural simplicity standpoint. SPDE models are designed with the aero-valve, and three different cases of obstacle combinations are used as deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT) devices. The inner diameters of detonation tubes are 29?mm, and the lengths of three SPDEs are 995, 1,100, and 1,175?mm. Using kerosene-air as the fuel-oxidizer, a series of high-frequency detonation tests is conducted to seek efficient DDT enhancement approaches that reduce DDT distance and time and increase the frequency of kerosene-fueled SPDE. The results show that the fully developed detonation wave can be achieved at a distance of 3.4 times the minimum characteristic distance for gaseous detonation formation from the igniter and that the SPDE can steadily operate at a maximal frequency of 62.5?Hz. By adopting these DDT enhancement approaches, the detonability of kerosene is significantly improved. In addition, experiments are performed to study the effects of firing frequencies on detonation transitions. The results clearly indicate that the values of detonation wave pressures and velocities, the degree of overdriven wave, the ignition delay times, and detonation initiation times vary with frequencies. In terms of the performance, the optimal frequencies of three SPDE models are 20, 42.5, and 50?Hz, respectively.