Streamwise vortices originating from synthetic jet–turbulent boundary layer interaction

Abstract

The interaction between a flat plate turbulent boundary layer and a synthetic jet issuing from a rectangular slot slanted with respect to the free stream was studied experimentally using digital particle image velocimetry. Instantaneous flow fields were sampled in a cross-plane downstream of the slot. Results concerning the effects of varying the synthetic jet velocity ratio at fixed stroke length L0 and yaw angle, and the effects of varying the orifice yaw angle β at a fixed frequency are presented. The formation of a pair of counter-rotating vortical structures, completely embedded in the boundary layer, was observed in the mean flow field when the slot was aligned with the cross-flow. As the slot yaw angle was increased, the leeward vortex intensified while the other became weaker. These vortical structures are the traces of streamwise vortices forming upstream, at the slot exit, during the blowing phases. As the jet velocity ratio and the slot yaw angle were increased the vortices grew in size and intensity. The vortex identification technique showed that these vortical structures are intermittently present in the instantaneous flow fields with a percentage growing with the frequency but not influenced by the yaw angle. Conditional averages showed that while the rotational core of the identified vortices is nearly unaffected, their outer region is greatly modified and grows in size and intensity as the jet velocity ratio and the yaw angle increases.