The Role of Streamwise Vorticity in the Control of Impinging Jets

Supersonic impinging jets produce a highly unsteady flowfield leading to very high dynamic pressure loads on nearby surfaces. In earlier studies, we conclusively demonstrated that arrays of supersonic microjet, 400 μm in diameter, effectively disrupted the feedback loop inherent in high-speed impinging jet flows. This feedback disruption results in significant reductions in the adverse effects associated with such flows. In this paper, by primarily using detailed velocity field measurements, we examine the role of streamwise vorticity in order to better understand the mechanisms behind this control scheme. The velocity field measurements clearly reveal the presence of well-organized, streamwise vortices with the activation of microjets. This increase in streamwise vorticity is concomitant with a reduction in the azimuthal vorticity of the primary jet. We propose that the streamwise vorticity is mainly a result of the redirection of the azimuthal vorticity, which leads to a weakening of the large-scale structures in the primary jet. The appearance of strong vortices in the shear layer near the nozzle exit due to microjets further weakens the spatial coherence of the coupling between the acoustic waves and shear layer instability, while thickening the jet shear layer. All these effects are thought to be collectively responsible for the efficient disruption of the feedback loop using microjets.Copyright © 2003 by ASME