Phase-averaged Velocity Fields Research Articles

Endoscopic Stereoscopic PIV Measurements Within An Enclosed And Tight Area Of A Hydraulic Turbine

The increasingly common utilization of hydraulic turbines in off design operating conditions in recent years have affected their lifetime due to damaging fluid-structure interactions. To decrease the downtime associated to more frequent maintenance of these turbines, a thorough understanding of the damaging flow phenomena is required. This may eventually lead to the development of mitigation strategies. However, measuring velocity at the entrance of the rotor of Francis turbines is difficult because of the confined spaces and limited optical access. This paper presents a stereoscopic PIV methodology enabling measurements at the inlet of a reduced-scale Francis turbine, along with multiple novelties developed to make accurate measurements possible. It elaborates on the solutions devised to address the challenges of performing optical measurements in highly confined spaces. The measured velocity fields cover the vaneless space and a large section of the interblade channels. In the phase-averaged velocity fields, three circulation zones are detected at the speed-no load operating point, representing the combined effect of numerous vortices and flow structures observed in the instantaneous velocity fields. The flow is characterized by a significant backflow within the runner, extending to the leading edge of the runner blades and overflowing into the vaneless space.

Comparison Of A Molecularly-Controlled Combustion Engine To A DISI Engine

In addition to the increased use of electromobility, significant improvements in the efficiency of internal combustion engines (ICE) to achieve a considerable reduction of emissions is crucial to advance the transition towards a sustainable transport sector. One approach to increase the efficiency of combustion engines is active pre-chamber ignited engines (Molecularly Controlled Combustion Engines, MCC). The traditional spark ignition is replaced by a chamber that ignites a secondary fuel. The burning fuel is emitted from the pre-chamber via multiple holes, igniting the fuel air mixture in the main combustion chamber. To eject the flame jets tangentially to the pent roof, the pre-chamber protrudes into the main chamber in the center of the main chamber’s pent roof. This particular geometry of an MCCengine, however, alters the flow field inside MCC-engines. To facilitate future developments around MCC-engines and to understand the interactions of the flow field with the pre-chamber, a Stereo Particle-Image Velocimetry (SPIV) study is conducted in an optically accessible MCC-engine model. Previous velocity field data, which were acquired using a Direct Injection Spark Ignition (DISI) engine configuration at the same operating point as the MCC-engine, are compared to those of the MCC-engine. Phase-averaged velocity field data of both engines acquired during the intake stroke are compared based on their in-plane velocity fields and the in-plane vorticity. The two engine configurations show significantly different magnitudes of velocity in their combustion chamber flow field. In the MCC-engine, a downwash flow component can be attributed to flow deflection caused by the pre-chamber protruding from the engine’s pent roof. One important flow feature of ICE, the tumble vortex, is analyzed for both engine configurations. An increased absolute vorticity and a different temporal development of the tumble vorticity is noted for the MCC-engine. The tumble flap, an engine component that influences the intake flow distribution, is considered a main contributor to the difference in flow velocity and tumble vorticity.

Phase-locked µPIV analysis of flow dynamics in a simulated root canal with different laser-activated irrigations.

To measure the dynamic characteristics of the flow field in a complex root canal model activated by two laser-activated irrigation (LAI) modalities at different activation energy outputs: photon-induced photoacoustic streaming (PIPS) and microshort pulse (MSP). A phase-locked micro-scale Particle Image Velocimetry (µPIV) system was employed to characterise the temporal variations of LAI-induced velocity fields in the root canal following a single laser pulse. The wall shear stress (WSS) in the lateral root canal was subsequently estimated from the phase-averaged velocity fields. Both PIPS and MSP were able to generate the 'breath mode' of the irrigant current under all tested conditions. The transient irrigation flush in the root canal peaked at speeds close to 6 m/s. However, this intense flushing effect persisted for only about 2000 µs (or 3% of a single laser-pulse activation cycle). For MSP, the maximum WSS magnitude was approximately 3.08 Pa at an activation energy of E = 20 mJ/pulse, rising to 9.01 Pa at E = 50 mJ/pulse. In comparison, PIPS elevated the WSS to 10.63 Pa at E = 20 mJ/pulse. Elevating the activation energy can boost the peak flushing velocity and the maximum WSS, thereby enhancing irrigation efficiency. Given the same activation energy, PIPS outperforms MSP. Additionally, increasing the activation frequency may be an effective strategy to improve irrigation performance further.

Large-Eddy Simulation of a Flow Generated by a Piston-driven Synthetic Jet Actuator

We study the characteristics of a compressible flow generated by a piston-driven synthetic jet actuator by employing large-eddy simulation with OpenFOAM. The actuator consists of a piston and a cylinder with a square orifice on top and produces a compressible synthetic jet with the piston movement. Comparison with experimental data demonstrates that the numerical model constructed with OpenFOAM is useful to examine the performance of the actuator. As the piston frequency increases, the maximum pressure inside the cylinder increases while the minimum pressure decreases. The fluid temperature inside the cylinder also varies similarly to the pressure. The maximum jet Mach number is well represented as a function of the maximum pressure. The phase-averaged velocity field of the synthetic jet confirms that the blowing and suction phases do not perfectly match with the piston movement. The root-mean-square velocity defined with the phase average also shows that a high turbulence level is observed in the region where the flow is decelerated at the furthest location of the jet in the blowing phase

Relaxation Fluidic Oscillators: Design Parameters, New Operating Modes, and Characteristics of Their Internal and External Flows

AbstractFluidic oscillators are no-moving-part actuators that can be used to produce pulsating jets. The characteristics of these devices and of the flow fields they produce are of particular interest in the field of heat transfer, as pulsating impinging jets have been shown to improve heat transfer compared to steady jets. In this study, special focus is given to these characteristics as a preparation for a subsequent thermal study that will evaluate the performance of these pulsed jets against steady jets. The functioning of the device in response to different operating and design parameters is first considered. It was shown that a transition between different operating modes is possible, depending on both the inlet mass flowrate and the width of the feedback channel of the device. This was followed by a study of the velocity fields of the pulsed jets produced by the device. More specifically, attention is given to the developing characteristics and flow structures of the pulsating free jets of air which are then compared to equivalent steady jets. Finally, by taking advantage of the periodic aspect of the flow, the phase-averaged velocity field was reconstructed. Vortex dipoles were detected, tracked and their convection velocity computed from the same data and compared to a theoretical value from the literature. A proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) of the synchronized raw data was then performed to further highlight the presence of these vortex structures and other flow instabilities.

Upper part-load instability in a reduced-scale Francis turbine: an experimental study

Francis turbines with medium or high specific speeds may experience a particular type of instability in the upper part load in which the precessing vortex has an elliptical shape. The occurrence of the upper part-load instability (UPLI) is accompanied by large-amplitude pressure fluctuations at a distinct frequency between 2 and 4 times the runner rotational speed. This paper experimentally investigates UPLI for a reduced-scale Francis turbine. To investigate the causal factors of this instability, draft tube pressure measurements, particle image velocimetry, and high-speed flow visualizations have been performed at several operating points under cavitation and cavitation-free conditions. It is shown for the first time that for an operating point within the UPLI range, the vortex always features a circular section in cavitation-free conditions, which is preserved even after the initial appearance of cavitation. It is only below a certain Thoma number that the vortex section turns into an ellipse and shows an abrupt increase in pressure fluctuations. Analysis of the phase-averaged velocity fields reveals that a concentrated vortex with a large precession radius is a prerequisite for UPLI, while the instantaneous velocity fields clearly illustrate the asymmetric velocity distribution around the elliptical vortex. The existence of a breathing mode and the intermittent formation of two side vortices along the elliptical vortex rope are also evidenced by high-speed flow visualizations. These results provide a much deeper insight into the flow structures that favor the development of UPLI and help delimit its thresholds to higher precision, and thus, prevent its occurrence during turbine operations.

Impact of dobutamine stress on diastolic energetic efficiency of healthy left ventricle: an in vivo kinetic energy analysis.

The total kinetic energy (KE) of blood can be decomposed into mean KE (MKE) and turbulent KE (TKE), which are associated with the phase-averaged fluid velocity field and the instantaneous velocity fluctuations, respectively. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of pharmacologically induced stress on MKE and TKE in the left ventricle (LV) in a cohort of healthy volunteers. 4D Flow MRI data were acquired in eleven subjects at rest and after dobutamine infusion, at a heart rate that was ∼60% higher than the one in rest conditions. MKE and TKE were computed as volume integrals over the whole LV and as data mapped to functional LV flow components, i.e., direct flow, retained inflow, delayed ejection flow and residual volume. Diastolic MKE and TKE increased under stress, in particular at peak early filling and peak atrial contraction. Augmented LV inotropy and cardiac frequency also caused an increase in direct flow and retained inflow MKE and TKE. However, the TKE/KE ratio remained comparable between rest and stress conditions, suggesting that LV intracavitary fluid dynamics can adapt to stress conditions without altering the TKE to KE balance of the normal left ventricle at rest.

Effect of boundary layer state on the wake of a cantilevered square cylinder of aspect ratio 4

We examine the effect of an incoming boundary layer state (laminar vs. turbulent) on the near wake of a surface-mounted square cylinder with a height-to-width aspect ratio of 4 at a Reynolds number ~${10}^{4}$. The mean wake structure for both cases is a dipole structure consisting of a counter-rotating pair of streamwise vortices extending from the recirculation region. For the laminar boundary layer case, the wake contains an additional vortex pair. We use oil-film flow visualizations over the base plate, reconstructed 3D phase-averaged velocity fields, and energy transfer between coherent and incoherent fields, to elucidate the influence of the boundary layer state.

Wake behind circular cylinder excited by spanwise non-uniform disturbances

We studied a modification of wake behind a circular cylinder using a plasma actuator. The plasma actuators were arranged in the spanwise direction of the cylinder to give temporal periodic disturbances having Strouhal number St = 0.18-2.3 with a burst ratio BR = 20 and 40%. The Reynolds number was set in a rage of Re = 4200 to 8400. Two types of plasma actuator were prepared; one is a single strip of the actuator placed at each side of the cylinder to give a spanwise uniform disturbance, and another is an array of small piece of actuators placed at the same location to create a spanwise non-uniform disturbance with temporal phase difference, φ = 0 or π, between adjacent electrodes. A conventional two-component PIV and stereo PIV was used to measure the flow field. Figure 1 shows the instantaneous spanwise component of vorticity at Re = 4200 evaluated by two-component PIV. Under no disturbance condition, the laminar shear layer extends straight to around x / d = 1.5 and then forms a wake vortex, as shown in Fig.1(a). In the case of spanwise non-uniform forcing with St = 1.09 and φ =π, rapid roll up of the initial shear layer leads to arrangement of wake vortices closer to the cylinder., as shown in Fig.1(b). With higher Strouhal number case with St = 1.09 and φ = 0, shown in Fig.1(c), a series of fine scale vortices are generated behind both side of the cylinder without forming regular Karman vortices. The spanwise non-uniform forcing was effective to suppress the formation of large scale vortices just behind the cylinder. Figure 2 shows surface of constant vorticity magnitude and vortex lines under St =1.09 and φ = π case. These were computed from a phase-averaged threecomponents velocity field evaluated by stereo PIV. The value of the surface was selected to display the boundary layer formed on the cylinder, and the vortex lines are selected to visualize the vortex structure formed in the following shear layer. A bundle of vortex lines are shaped in a wavy pattern along spanwise direction with 180 degrees out of phase to the adjacent bundle upstream of downstream. This structure, so called ‘chain-line fence structure’ was already found in planar free shear layer [Nygaard, K.J. and Glezer, A., 1990, Phys. Fluids A, 2, 461] and planar jet [Sakakibara, J., Anzai, T., 2001, Phys. Fluids, 13, 1541], but it became evident to create it in the wake of circular cylinder in this study.

An experimental study on the upper part-load elliptical vortex instability in a Francis turbine

This paper presents preliminary results of an experimental study on the occurrence and development of the upper part-load instability in a reduced-scale Francis turbine. The study includes draft tube pressure measurements, high-speed flow visualization, and particle image velocimetry. Our results reveal that for an operating point within the range of the upper part-load instability (70 to 85 % of the nominal discharge), the vortex rope has a circular cross section in non-cavitating conditions, which is preserved even after the appearance of cavitation within the vortex core. It is only below a certain cavitation number that the vortex cross section turns into an ellipse, which is associated with an abrupt increase in the pressure fluctuations with a distinct peak in the frequency domain. A further decrease in the cavitation number results in a constant decrease in the activated frequency while the amplitude of these oscillations experience a rise followed by a quick drop. Phase-averaged velocity fields show that the occurrence and development of cavitation within the vortex rope result in a more diffused distribution of the angular momentum. The instantaneous velocity fields, on the other hand, reveal that the elliptical vortex has various states with either diffused or concentrated velocity distributions, which makes the use of the averaged velocity field for this point less relevant.

Experimental investigation on compression ramp shock wave/boundary layer interaction control using plasma actuator array

Particle image velocimetry measurement on shock wave/boundary layer interaction in a Mach 2.0 supersonic wind tunnel is performed to quantitatively reveal the plasma flow control effect in this paper. The typical flow structure is produced by a 24-degree compression ramp model and the streamwise plasma actuator array with five pulsed spark discharge plasma actuators is adopted as the control device. In the midspan plane, the results show that although the separation region exhibits an obvious extension, the foot of the separation wave moves upstream and the shock wave angle decreases from 41.6° to 22.3°, proving the decline in shock intensity. The shock wave drag is estimated to be reduced by 45%. According to the phase-averaged velocity field, the reason that the high-frequency actuation plays a key role in achieving the continuous control effect is revealed through the temporal evolution of the separation region area. Also, another interesting phenomenon that the flow deflects when passing through the actuation region is found, which may induce the upwash and downwash motions of the boundary layer and further reduce the flow separation on both sides of the actuation region. At last, a preliminary conceptual model is proposed to reveal the probable flow control mechanism.

In Vitro Assessment of Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Anatomy and Valve Orientation Effects on Bioprosthetic Pulmonary Valve Hemodynamics.

The congenital heart defect Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) affects 1 in 2500 newborns annually in the US and typically requires surgical repair of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) early in life, with variations in surgical technique leading to large disparities in RVOT anatomy among patients. Subsequently, often in adolescence or early adulthood, patients usually require surgical placement of a xenograft or allograft pulmonary valve prosthesis. Valve longevity is highly variable for reasons that remain poorly understood. This work aims to assess the performance of bioprosthetic pulmonary valves in vitro using two 3D printed geometries: an idealized case based on healthy subjects aged 11 to 13 years and a diseased case with a 150% dilation in vessel diameter downstream of the valve. Each geometry was studied with two valve orientations: one with a valve leaflet opening posterior, which is the native pulmonary valve position, and one with a valve leaflet opening anterior. Full three-dimensional, three-component, phase-averaged velocity fields were obtained in the physiological models using 4D flow MRI. Flow features, particularly vortex formation and reversed flow regions, differed significantly between the RVOT geometries and valve orientations. Pronounced asymmetry in streamwise velocity was present in all cases, while the diseased geometry produced additional asymmetry in radial flows. Quantitative integral metrics demonstrated increased secondary flow strength and recirculation in the rotated orientation for the diseased geometry. The compound effects of geometry and orientation on bioprosthetic valve hemodynamics illustrated in this study could have a crucial impact on long-term valve performance.

Abstract 17363: Cardiac Output and Valve Orientation Affect Blood Flow Patterns Local to Bioprosthetic Pulmonary Valves in Tetralogy of Fallot

Introduction: Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) typically requires surgical repair of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) and subsequent placement of an artificial pulmonary valve. Bioprosthetic valve longevity is highly variable and there is currently little understanding of what hemodynamic factors may lead to early valve dysfunction. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that cardiac output and valve orientation impact the performance of bioprosthetic valves by affecting blood flow patterns in the RVOT. Methods: We analyzed hemodynamics in a 3D printed ToF anatomy model in a physiological flow loop. A 25mm surgical valve was implanted in the model at two orientations: native and rotated 180 degrees. Full 3D, three-component, phase-averaged velocity fields were obtained over the cardiac cycle using 4D flow MRI at cardiac outputs of 2, 3.5, and 5 L/min. We acquired images of valve leaflet motion at 1500Hz. The 4D flow MRI and high-speed camera experiments were run identically, allowing us to examine the relationship between flow fields and leaflet motion. Results: The full velocity fields from the MRI scans revealed key differences among cases in flow features including location of reverse flow regions, systolic jet shape, and asymmetry local to the valve. At 2 L/min, the forward flow through the jet was more asymmetric compared to the other cases and a strong vortex formed, indicating a region of recirculation. With the rotated valve orientation, the 2 L/min case also produced a unique pattern as flow was washed from the RVOT inner curve back toward the center of the valve (Fig 1). Leaflet behavior during systole varied with cardiac output as well, as higher frequency flutter was observed at 5 L/min and the effective valve orifice area was decreased by 8.5% at 2 L/min compared to 5 L/min. Conclusions: We observed key differences in flow patterns and leaflet motion due to cardiac output and valve orientation that could impact leaflet loading and fatigue and long-term valve function.

Analysis of coherent structures in partly confined swirling flows

The precessing vortex core (PVC) and symmetric coherent structures in partly confined swirling flows of gas turbine combustors are investigated numerically. The computational combustor features a sidewall in the circumferential direction, and the ratio between the sidewall length (L) and dome height (H) is specified as 0, 0.27, 0.68, and 1 to construct various confinements. Then a large eddy simulation is performed under the isothermal condition to investigate the effect of different L/H values on dominant coherent structures in combustors. The time-averaged flowfields exhibit different shapes of the inner recirculation zone (IRZ) with increasing L/H. Proper orthogonal decomposition is used to extract coherent structures from the turbulence; the single helical structure referred to as the PVC, and the symmetric vortices that shed and are amplified in the shear layer, are found to dominate the evolution of the flow in all cases. Relevant phase-averaged velocity fields show that the PVC synchronizes with the IRZ rotating around the centerline of the combustor while the symmetric coherent structure causes the deformation of the IRZ. By examining the azimuthal wave related to the PVC, it is shown that the PVC is suppressed in the partly confined swirling flow, and its strength is enhanced as L/H increases. Changes in shear layer thickness are suggested as being responsible for the suppression of the PVC under the partly confined condition.

Three-dimensional deflecting oscillation of turbulent planar opposed jets confined in an open cavity under crossflow

In this work, the flow dynamics of two isothermal turbulent opposed water jets issuing from rectangular slot nozzles and confined inside an open cubical cavity with vertical crossflow in a rectangular duct are studied experimentally using time-resolved stereo particle image velocimetry. The turbulent structure and the deflecting oscillation of the colliding jets have been investigated for fixed nozzle separation and a crossflow Reynolds number of 3000 for three jets’ Reynolds numbers of Rej = 1500, 3000, and 5000. The probability density function of the fluctuations for the three nondimensional velocity components measured at the mean impingement height of the jets has been calculated for three different positions along the cavity span. The experimental results confirm that as Rej increases, departure from Gaussian behavior has been noted, with stronger skewness and larger scatters observed for Rej = 5000. The oscillation dynamics of the flapping jets has been characterized and examined with high spatial and temporal resolution by identifying phase-averaged velocity and vorticity fields and Reynolds stresses at several specific phases. Analysis shows that the value of Rej plays a significant role in the motion and behavior of the switching jets. A proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) analysis of the coherent structure organization of the turbulent flow has been performed to construct a reduced-order model of the turbulent flow. The results show that the first four POD modes contain about 17% of the total kinetic energy (the first 120 modes up to 79%) and that the complexity of the most energetic flow structures increases with an increase in the Rej number.

Development and Application of Bivariate 2D-EMD for the Analysis of Instantaneous Flow Structures and Cycle-to-Cycle Variations of In-cylinder Flow

The bivariate two dimensional empirical mode decomposition (Bivariate 2D-EMD) is extended to estimate the turbulent fluctuations and to identify cycle-to-cycle variations (CCV) of in-cylinder flow. The Bivariate 2D-EMD is an adaptive approach that is not restricted by statistical convergence criterion, hence it can be used for analyzing the nonlinear and non-stationary phenomena. The methodology is applied to a high-speed PIV dataset that measures the velocity field within the tumble symmetry plane of an optically accessible engine. The instantaneous velocity field is decomposed into a finite number of 2D spatial modes. Based on energy considerations, the in-cylinder flow large-scale organized motion is separated from turbulent fluctuations. This study is focused on the second half of the compression stroke. For most of the cycles, the maximum of turbulent fluctuations is located between 50 and 30 crank angle degrees before top dead center (TDC). In regards to the phase-averaged velocity field, the contribution of CCV to the fluctuating kinetic energy is approximately 55% near TDC.

A particle image velocimetry study of dual-rotor counter-rotating wind turbine near wake

This experimental work studied the flow characteristics in the near wake region behind dual-rotor wind turbines using two-dimensional particle image velocimetry. Two auxiliary rotors of 50% and 80% scale of the main rotor were installed upwind and operated in counter-rotating condition, which are compared to the conventional single-rotor turbine. In all the three configurations, a constant Reynolds number 9.5times 10^4 was applied, and all the rotors operated at a fixed tip speed ratio of 3.46. The mean and phase-averaged velocity fields were investigated together with the turbulence kinetic energy. It was found that the two auxiliary rotors do not result in a significantly different wake flow property. The configuration implementing the 50% auxiliary rotor sees a slightly better wake characteristics, in terms of weaker main rotor tip vortices and a counter-rotating swirling shear region at the mid-span behind the main rotor. The decay rates of the peak vorticity of the main rotor tip vortices and their circulation are found to follow an exponential manner.Graphic abstract

Measurements of a turbulent boundary layer-compliant surface system in response to targeted, dynamic roughness forcing

A series of experiments have been performed to study the response of a compliant (gelatin) surface to a turbulent boundary layer that has been forced by dynamic roughness. Through the synthetic flow structure generated by dynamic roughness, this work reduces the complexity of the fluid–structural problem in order to develop a fundamental framework with which to study flow control mechanisms. Flow velocity and surface deformations are measured using 2D particle image velocimetry and stereo digital image correlation, respectively. Both measurement methods are phase-locked to the roughness motion to allow the phase-averaged velocity and deformation fields to be isolated and correlated. The surface response of the non-dynamic roughness forced system is analyzed, and several spectral features are characterized. This analysis is used as context for the roughness forced deformations, subsequently confirming the response of the compliant surface to the synthetic flow mode. This demonstrates the potential of dynamic roughness experiments for studying flow control schemes and sets the stage for more detailed investigations of the effect of the compliant surface on the synthetic flow mode.

Dissimilarity between turbulent heat and momentum transfer induced by a streamwise travelling wave of wall blowing and suction

A series of direct numerical simulations of a fully developed turbulent channel flow is conducted in order to clarify the effects of travelling wave-like wall blowing and suction on dissimilar heat transfer enhancement. While the wave form is kept sinusoidal and its amplitude is set to be 5 % of the bulk mean velocity, the wavelength and phase speed of the travelling wave are systematically changed in a wide parameter space. As a result, the global optimum of the parameter set for maximizing the analogy factor, which is defined as the ratio between the Stanton number and the skin-friction coefficient, is identified. Interestingly, the obtained globally optimal mode agrees well with that predicted from the optimal control theory taking into account the future dynamics within a limited time horizon by Yamamoto et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 733, 2013, pp. 189–220). The instantaneous velocity and thermal fields are decomposed into coherent and random components in order to evaluate the contribution from each component to dissimilar heat transfer enhancement. The detailed mechanisms of dissimilarity are explained by the budget analyses of the coherent and random contributions. Also, their relationships with the near-wall turbulent structures modified by the applied control are discussed through flow visualization. It is found that the random component makes a dominant contribution to dissimilarity, and this can be explained by an indirect effect through the modification of the coherent field by the applied control. Based on the above mechanisms, we propose a simple unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) approach, where the phase-averaged velocity and thermal fields are solved directly whereas the effects of the random component are modelled by the Boussinesq eddy viscosity and diffusivity hypothesis. It is shown that the present URANS can capture the overall trend of dissimilar heat transfer enhancement in a wide parameter range. The present results also explain why the optimal control theory with a limited time horizon succeeds in predicting the globally optimal control mode.

INTERACTION CHARACTERISTICS OF MULTIPLE SWEEPING JET ACTUATORS IN SERIES

An external flow field of a single oscillator is characterized and the interaction characteristics of an array of oscillators in quiescent environment are studied in this experimental investigation. Time-averaged and phase-averaged velocity fields of a single oscillator are studied to characterize the external flow field. A spacing between the oscillators and volume flow rate were varied to study their effects on the jet interaction characteristics. Sweeping jet oscillation similarity was ensured using frequency characteristics of the oscillators. Two-dimensional particle image velocimetry (PIV) was used to characterize the external flow field. The method of zero-crossing was used for phase-averaging and the characteristics of the jet exiting from the oscillator at various phases were studied. The interaction height of the oscillating jets is influenced by the spacing between the oscillators and is found to increase with the spacing. The volume flow rate does not significantly affect the interaction height. The change in the spacing alters the deficit in the velocity between the peaks, while the change in the volume flow rate spatially shifts the profiles in the streamwise direction as the flow momentum is directly dependent on the volume flow rate. The deficit in velocity between the peaks increases with the spacing; however, an increase in the flow rate at the same spacing decreases this deficit.