A novel formula to describe the velocity profile of free jet flow

Abstract

Having a potential core, the velocity profile in initial zone of incompressible submerged jet flow is different from that in fully developed region. In the former researches, the two regions were studied separately, even a short part between the two regions being considered as a transition region. The velocity profile in fully developed region looked as a Gaussian distribution, which is valid when jet initial region is comparatively short. But when the size of initial zone is long enough not to be able to be neglected, especially for large-size exit, this kind of assumption is not acceptable. Based on the analysis of flow structure of jet flow, a new velocity profile formula of submerged jet flow was proposed, which unites the initial, transition, fully developed regions of jet flow via modifying Gaussian distribution with a radial adjusting coefficient. For the round jet with the medium or high range of Reynolds number, the radial adjusting coefficient is a power function of reciprocal of jet distance. And then some literature experimental data were applied in verification, and the new formula exhibited a good calculation result. This work opened that the jet flow velocity profile at any site along the flow distance can be described via a same formula.