Particle image velocimetry measurements of the interaction of synthetic jets with a zero-pressure gradient laminar boundary layer

Abstract

An experimental investigation of the interaction between a synthetic jet actuator and a zero-pressure gradient laminar boundary layer is reported. The aim of this study is to quantify the impact of synthetic jet vortical structures; namely, hairpin vortices, stretched vortex rings and tilted vortex rings on a boundary layer, and to assess their relative potential for flow separation control. Streamwise particle image velocimetry was employed in a water flume (free stream boundary layer thickness Reynolds number of 500 and boundary layer thickness-to-jet orifice diameter ratio of 4) to obtain phase- and time-averaged boundary layer profile information of the impact of synthetic jets near the wall. The potential for flow control was assessed by analyzing near wall fluid mixing, realized by the measure of increase in wall shear stress produced by a passing vortex. Hairpin vortices (produced at a jet-to-free stream velocity ratio, VR=0.32 and dimensionless stroke length, L=1.6) and stretched vortex rings (VR=0.27; L=2.7) exhibit characteristics akin to a streamwise vortex pair with a common upwash. Conversely, tilted vortex rings (VR=0.54; L=2.7) induce a streamwise vortex pair in the near wall region with a common downwash. Wall shear stress measurements show that synthetic jets composed of stretched vortex rings offer the best combination of near wall fluid mixing, persistency, and low rms fluctuations for potential applications of flow separation control.