Vectoring of parallel synthetic jets: a parametric study

Abstract

The vectoring of a pair of parallel synthetic jets can be described using five dimensionless parameters: the aspect ratio of the slots, the Strouhal number, the Reynolds number, the phase difference between the jets and the spacing between the slots. In the present study, the influence of the latter four on the vectoring behaviour of the jets is examined experimentally, using particle image velocimetry. Time-averaged velocity maps are used to give a qualitative description of the variations in vectoring for a parametric sweep of each of the four parameters independently. A diverse set of vectoring behaviour is observed in which the resulting jet can be merged or bifurcated and either vectored towards the actuator leading in phase or the actuator lagging in phase. Three performance metrics are defined to give a quantitative description of the vectoring behaviour: the included angle between bifurcated branches, the vectoring angle of the total flow and the normalized momentum flux of the flow. Using these metrics, the influence of changes in the Strouhal number, Reynolds number, phase difference and spacing are quantified. Phase-locked maps of the swirling strength are used to track vortex pairs. Vortex trajectories are used to define three Strouhal number regimes for the vectoring behaviour. In the first regime, vectoring behaviour is dominated by the pinch-off time, which is written as function of Strouhal number only. In the second regime, the pinch-off time is invariant and the vectoring behaviour slightly changes with Strouhal number. In the third regime, given by the formation criterion, no synthetic jet is formed. Vortex positions at a single phase, shortly after creation of the lagging vortex pair, are used to propose a vectoring mechanism. This vectoring mechanism explains the observed qualitative and quantitative variations for all four parameters.

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ORCID for Bharath Ganapathisubramani: orcid.org/0000-0001-9817-0486

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