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At least 73 records · Page 4

Multiscale turbulence effects in supersonic jets exhausting into still air

A modified version of the multiscale turbulence model of Hanjalic has been applied to the problem of supersonic jets exhausting into still air. In particular, the problem of shock-cell decay through turbulent interaction with the mixing layer has been studied for both mildly interacting and strongly resonant jet conditions. The modified Hanjalic model takes into account the nonequilibrium energy transfer between two different turbulent spectral scales. The turbulence model was incorporated into an existing shock-capturing, parabolized Navier-Stokes computational model in order to perform numerical experiments. The results show that the two-scale turbulence model provides significant improvement over one-scale models in the prediction of plume shock structure for underexpanded supersonic (Mach 2) and sonic (Mach 1) jets. For the supersonic jet, excellent agreement with experiment was obtained for the centerline shock-cell pressure decay up to 40 jet radii. For the sonic jet, the agreement with experiment was not so good, but the two-scale model still showed significant improvement over the one-scale model. It is shown that by relating some of the coefficients in the turbulent-transport equations to the relative time scale for transfer of energy between scales the two-scale model can provide predictions that bound the measured shock-cell decay rate for the sonic jet.

Abdol-Hamid, Khaled S.↗

High-resolution continuous-wave coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy in a supersonic jet

High-resolution CW coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectra of the nu1 Q branch of methane in an underexpanded supersonic jet were obtained at temperatures as low as 31.5 K and pressures as low as 2 torr. The experimental spectra were well fitted by the calculated theoretical spectra, including transit-time broadening. A temperature of 31.5 K produced the best fit to the data, and the transit-time broadening was comparable to the residual Doppler broadening of about 100 MHz. The supersonic jet provides a convenient method of obtaining molecular cooling at relatively high density, and the ease of construction and the wide range of temperatures and densities available make it a useful tool for high resolution molecular spectroscopy.

Gustafson, E. K.↗

Aeroacoustics of contoured plug-nozzle supersonic jet flows

Experimental investigations of the acoustic far-field, the shock associated noise, and the characteristics of the repetitive shock structure of supersonic jet flows issuing from a plug-nozzle having an externally expanded contoured plug with a pointed termination, operated at a range of supercritical pressure ratios of 2.0 to 4.5 are reported. The supersonic jet flow from the contoured plug is shown to be shock-free and virtually wakeless at a pressure ratio of 3.60 (flow Mach number, 1.49). By comparison with the noise characteristics of underexpanded jet flows from an equivalent convergent nozzle, substantial reductions in the total (mixing and the shock associated) noise levels are obtained when the contoured plug nozzle is operated either in the fully-expanded (shock-free) mode or in the over- and the underexpanded modes.

Dosanjh, D. S.↗

Mach wave emission from a high temperature supersonic jet

The paper considers the compressible Rayleigh equation as a model for the Mach wave emission mechanism associated with high temperature supersonic jets. Solutions to the compressible Rayleigh equation reveal the existence of several families of supersonically convecting instability waves. These waves directly radiate noise to the jet far field. The predicted noise characteristics are compared to previously acquired experimental data for an axisymmetric Mach 2 fully pressure balanced jet operating over a range of jet operating total temperatures from ambient to 1370 K. The results of this comparison show that the first order supersonic instability wave and the Kelvin-Helmholtz first, second, and third order modes have directional radiation characteristics that are in agreement with observed data. The assumption of equal initial amplitudes for all of the waves leads to the conclusion that the flapping mode of instability dominates the noise radiation process of supersonic jets. At a jet temperature of 1370 K, supersonic instability waves are predicted to dominate the noise radiated at high frequency at narrow angles to the jet axis.

Seiner, J. M.↗

Interactive phenomena in supersonic jet mixing problems. I Phenomenology and numerical modeling techniques

The interactive phenomena that occur in supersonic jet mixing flowfields, and numerical modeling techniques developed to analyze such phenomena are discussed. A spatial marching procedure based on solving the parabolized Navier-Stokes jet mixing equations is presented. This procedure combines shock-capturing methodology for the analysis of supersonic mixing regions with pressure-split methodology for the analysis of subsonic mixing regions. The two regions are coupled at viscous sonic lines utilizing a viscous-characteristic coupling procedure. Specialized techniques for the treatment of jet boundary growth, strong discontinuties (Mach disks), and small embedded subsonic zones (behind Mach disks) are presented. Turbulent processes are represented by two-equation turbulence model formulations. In Part II of this article, numerical studies are presented for a variety of supersonic jet interactive phenomena.

Dash, S. M.↗

Mach wave emission from supersonic jets

An experimental investigation has been conducted on supersonic jets at a Mach number of 1.43 over a temperature range from about 420 K to 1370 K (300 F to 2000 F) in which it was found that the noise in the far field was dominated by eddy Mach waves. It is shown that the strength of the Mach waves is determined by the product of the mean shear and the density fluctuations of the jet. Thus, the source of sound arises from the mixing of hot and cold streams as well as from those compressions and expansions that are intuitively associated with sound generation. For the temperature range investigated, the Mach waves were emitted at angles between 37 deg and 59 deg with respect to the jet axis. These values represent those in the region of the jet where the Mach angle was constant.

Parthasarathy, S. P.↗

A multiple-scales model of the shock-cell structure of imperfectly expanded supersonic jets

The present investigation is concerned with the development of an analytical model of the quasi-periodic shock-cell structure of an imperfectly expanded supersonic jet. The investigation represents a part of a program to develop a mathematical theory of broadband shock-associated noise of supersonic jets. Tam and Tanna (1982) have suggested that this type of noise is generated by the weak interaction between the quasi-periodic shock cells and the downstream-propagating large turbulence structures in the mixing layer of the jet. In the model developed in this paper, the effect of turbulence in the mixing layer of the jet is simulated by the addition of turbulent eddy-viscosity terms to the momentum equation. Attention is given to the mean-flow profile and the numerical solution, and a comparison of the numerical results with experimental data.

Tam, C. K. W.↗

Mach wave emission from a high-temperature supersonic jet

The paper considers the compressible Rayleigh equation as a model for the Mach wave emission mechanism associated with high-temperature supersonic jets. Solutions to the compressible Rayleigh equation reveal the existence of several families of supersonically convecting instability waves. These waves directly radiate noise to the jet far field. The predicted noise characteristics are compared to previously acquired experimental data for an axisymmetric Mach 2 fully pressure balanced jet operating over a range of jet total temperatures from ambient to 1370 K. The results of this comparison show that the first-order supersonic instability wave and the Kelvin-Hemlhlotz first-, second-, and third-order modes have directional radiation characteristics that are in agreement with observed data. The assumption of equal initial amplitudes for all of the waves leads to the conclusion that the flapping mode of instability dominates the noise radiatio process of supersonic jets. At a jet temperature of 1370 K, supersonic instability waves are predicted to dominate the noise radiated at high frequency at narrow angles to the jet axis.

Seiner, John M.↗

Two-Phase Azimuthal Instability Generated By A Supersonic Jet Impinging on A Granular Bed

A persistent azimuthal pattern featuring alternate high and low concentration of ejecta emanating from the area where a supersonic jet (Mach 5.3) impinges on a bed of particles in a near-lunar vacuum condition is studied experimentally. Although this peculiar phenomenon has been documented in early studies motivated by extraterrestrial landing, the mechanism of this pattern is not clearly understood. Recently, a series of experiments were conducted at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center inside a 4.5 m vacuum chamber over a range of reduced ambient pressure. Experimental results show vibrant azimuthal patterns, which are clearest at low ambient pressure. The pattern is shown to be driven by the flow instability at low Reynolds number, despite the supersonic jet employed. The flow instability leads to azimuthal vortex lines, which expel ejecta into streaks between two neighboring vortex lines. A simple model is proposed to explain the observed phenomenon.

Plume Surface Interaction↗

Screech Tones of Supersonic Jets from Bevelled Rectangular Nozzles

It is known experimentally that an imperfectly expanded rectangular jet from a thin-lip convergent nozzle emits only a single dominant screech tone. The frequency of the screech tone decreases continuously with increase in jet Mach number. However, for a supersonic jet issued from a bevelled nozzle or a convergent-divergent nozzle with straight side walls, the shock cell structure and the screech frequency pattern are fairly complicated and have not been predicted before. In this paper, it is shown that the shock cell structures of these jets can be decomposed into waveguide modes of the jet flow. The screech frequencies are related to the higher-order waveguide modes following the weakest-link screech tone theory. The measured screech frequencies are found to compare well with the predicted screech frequency curves.

Tam, Christopher K. W.↗

Diagnostic experiments on supersonic jet noise

Experiments and computations on the flowfield and radiated noise of supersonic model jets are discussed. The shock associated noise produced by large scale instabilities in underexpanded supersonic jets, the nonlinear propagation distortion phenomenon in the noise radiated by supersonic model jets, and computations of instability evolution and radiated noise using the LSNOIS computer code are addressed.

Mclaughlin, D. K.↗

Supersonic jet control via point disturbances inside the nozzle

Experiments on supersonic jet control via point disturbances inside the nozzle were conducted using a pressure-matched converging-diverging nozzle with an exit diameter of 3.11 cm and an exit Mach number of 2.1. The disturbance generators are situated on the supersonic nozzle wall between the throat and the jet exit plane; the resulting fluid-mechanical disturbances are observed at the intersection of the disturbance cone and the jet lip. It is demonstrated that a single disturbance generator leads to a polygonal jet appearance, while two symmetric disturbances lead to a symmetric rectangular jet shape and two nonsymmetric disturbances lead to a star-like appearance. Significant cusps are formed in all cases.

Wishart, D. P.↗

Interactive phenomena in supersonic jet mixing problems

The interactive phenomena that occur in the plume flowfield produced by a supersonic jet exhausting into a supersonic or subsonic external stream are discussed. A spatial marching parabolized Navier-Stokes approach is used to analyze the coupled viscous/inviscid interactive processes in supersonic flow regions. A 'partially parabolic' spatial marching procedure is used to analyze embedded subsonic regions (viz. the flow behind Mach discs) and the subsonic portion of the plume mixing layer for subsonic external flows. Coupling between the two-regions utilizes viscous-characteristic techniques and appropriate iterative procedures. Applications to a variety of jet mixing problems are presented. The importance of accounting for compressibility effects on the turbulence is demonstrated via comparisons of predictions employing several two-equation turbulence models with detailed laboratory data.

Dash, S. M.↗

Aeroacoustics of supersonic jet flows from contoured and solid/porous conical plug-nozzles

The results of an experimental study of the acoustic far-field, the shock associated noise, and the nature of the repetitive shock structure of supersonic jet flows issuing from plug-nozzles having externally-expanded plugs with pointed termination operated at a range of supercritical pressure ratios Xi approaching 2 to 4.5 are reported. The plug of one of these plug-nozzles was contoured. The other plug-nozzles had short conical plugs with either a solid surface or a combination of solid/porous surface of different porosities. The contoured and the uncontoured plug-nozzles had the same throat area and the same annulus-radius ratio K = R sub p/R sub N = 0.43. As the result of modifications of the shock structure, the acoustic performance of improperly expanded jet flows of an externally-expanded short uncontoured plug of an appropriate geometry with suitably perforated plug and a pointed termination, is shown to approach the acoustic performance of a shock-free supersonic jet issuing from an equivalent externally-expanded contoured plug-nozzle.

Dosanjh, Darshan S.↗

Aeroacoustics of a porous plug supersonic jet noise suppressor

The aeroacoustics of a porous plug supersonic jet noise suppressor was investigated. The needed modifications of the existing multistream coaxial jet rig; the compressed air facility and pressure controls; the design, the fabrication, and the installation of the plenum chamber for the plug nozzle, and the design and the machining of the first contoured plug nozzle were completed. The optical and the aeroacoustic data of the contoured plug nozzles and of the conical convergent nozzle alone were discussed.

Dosanjh, D. S.↗

Three-dimensional Structure in a Supersonic Jet: Behavior near Centerline

The unsteady structure of a supersonic jet is highly three dimensional, though the mean flow is axisymmetric. In simulating a circular jet, the centerline represents a computational boundary. As such, spurious modes can be generated near centerline, unless special attention is given to the behavior of the 3D structure near the centerline. Improper treatment of the dependent variables near the centerline results in the solution diverging or being suitable only for small amplitude excitation. With a careful treatment of the centerline formation, no spurious mode is generated. The results show that a near-linear disturbance growth is obtained, as the linear stability theory indicates. At high levels of excitation, nonlinear development of disturbances is evident and saturation is reached downstream.

Shih, S. H.↗

Turbulent mixing noise from supersonic jets

There is now a substantial body of theoretical and experimental evidence that the dominant part of the turbulent noise of supersonic jets is generated directly by the large turbulence structures/instability waves of the jet flow. Earlier, Tam and Burton provided a description of the physical mechanism by which supersonically traveling instability waves can generate sound efficiently. They used the method of matched asymptotic expansions to construct an instability wave solution which is valid in the far field. The present work is an extension of the theory of Tam and Burton. It is argued that the instability wave spectrum of the jet may be regarded as generated by stochastic white noise excitation at the nozzle lip region. The reason why the excitation has white noise characteristics is that near the nozzle lip region the flow in the jet mixing layer has no intrinsic length and time scales. The present stochastic wave model theory of supersonic jet noise contains a single unknown multiplicative constant. Comparisons between the calculated noise directivities at selected Strouhal numbers and experimental measurements of a Mach 2 jet at different jet temperatures have been carried out. Favorable agreements are found.

Tam, Christopher K. W.↗