Numerical study of the flow and the near acoustic fields of an underexpanded round free jet generating two screech tones

Abstract

The flow and near acoustic fields of a supersonic round free jet are explored using a compressible large eddy simulation. At the exit of a straight pipe nozzle, the jet is underexpanded, and is characterized by a Nozzle Pressure Ratio of 4.03 and a Temperature Ratio of 1. It has a fully expanded Mach number of 1.56, an exit Mach number of 1, and a Reynolds number of 6×104. Flow snapshots, mean flow fields and convection velocity in the jet shear layers are consistent with experimental data and theoretical results. Furthermore, two screech tones are found to emerge in the pressure spectrum calculated close to the nozzle. Using a Fourier decomposition of the pressure fields, the two screech tones are found to be associated with anticlockwise helical oscillation modes. Besides, the frequencies of the screech tones and the associated oscillation modes both agree with theoretical predictions and measurements. Moreover, pressure fields filtered at the screech frequencies reveal the presence of hydrodynamic-acoustic standing waves. In those waves, the regions of highest amplitude in the jet are located in the fifth and the sixth cells of the shock cell structure. The two screech tones therefore seem to be linked to two different loops established between the nozzle and the fifth and sixth shock cells, respectively. In the pressure fields, three other acoustic components, namely the low-frequency mixing noise, the high-frequency mixing noise and the broadband shock-associated noise, are noted. The directivity and frequency of the mixing noise are in line with numerical and experimental studies. A production mechanism of the mixing noise consisting of sudden intrusions of turbulent structures into the potential core is discussed. Then, the broadband shock-associated noise is studied. This noise component is due to the interactions between the turbulent structure in the shear layers and the shocks in the jet. By analyzing the near pressure fields, this noise component is found to be produced mainly in the sixth shock cell. Finally, using the size of this shock cell in the classical theoretical model of this noise component, a good agreement is found with the simulation results.