Initial development of the axisymmetric ejector shear layer

Abstract

An experimental investigation designed to study the development of shear layers in an axisymmetric single-nozzle ejector has been completed. In this study, combinations of air/air, argon/air and helium/air were used as the supersonic primary and subsonic secondary, respectively. Mixing of the gases occurred in a constant-area tube, where the inlet pressure was maintained at 5 psia. The cases studied resulted in convective Mach numbers between 0.3 and 1.9. The resulting data shows dramatic differences in the shear-layer development for the various combinations of independent variables utilized in the investigation. Further, in the region immediately after the inlet to the mixing tube, the axisymmetric shear layers seem to behave in a manner similar to that of two-dimensional mixing layers. The results have enhanced the ability to analyze and design ejector systems as well as providing a better understanding of the physics.