The flow of jets in confining enclosures has significant application in many engineering processes. In particular, two jet flows have been studied; the impingement of axisymmetric jets in a confined space and a turbulent inlet wall jet in a confining enclosure. The impingement of axisymmetric jets in a cavity has been examined using flow visualization, laser Doppler anemometry, and numerical simulations. When the flow field was examined under various geometrical and fluid parameters several flow regions were found, depending on the geometrical and fluid parameters. Initially, a steady flow field existed for all arrangements for Red < ~90 but subsequent increments in the fluid velocity caused an oscillating flow field to emerge. The onset of the oscillations and the upper limit of finite oscillations were found to be a function of the nozzle diameter to chamber dimension ratio. Although steady numerical simulations predicted the steady flow field well, steady simulations of the oscillating flow field over-predicted the peak axial velocities. The oscillating flow field is considered to be a class of self-sustaining oscillations where instabilities in the jet shear layer are amplified because of feed back from pressure disturbances in the impingement region. The turbulent wall jet in a cavity has been studied using flow visualization, laser Doppler anemometry (LDA), particle streak velocimetry (PSV) and numerical simulations. Instantaneous PSV measurements agreed well with time averaged LDA measurements. Two dimensional simulations using an algebraic stress turbulence model (ASM) were in better agreement with the experimental data than two and three dimensional simulations using a k - ε turbulence model in the wall jet region. A wall jet growth rate was found to be 54% higher than a wall jet in stagnant surroundings due to the enclosure boundaries. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Η διδακτορική διατριβή με τίτλο «Μελέτη Διατάξεων Σταδιακής Καύσης» έχει ως αντικείμενο την περιγραφή και την ανάλυση του ροϊκού πεδίου της αλληλεπίδρασης αξονοσυμμετρικών δεσμών διαφορετικού αριθμού Reynolds. Ο έλεγχος των μηχανισμών που διέπουν το ροϊκό αυτό πεδίο είναι σημαντικό εργαλείο για την βελτιστοποίηση της ανάμιξης ρευμάτων οξειδωτικού και καυσίμου και αποτελεί τον κρισιμότερο τεχνολογικό στόχο κατά τη διερεύνηση της αποδοτικότητας σε ένα ευρύ φάσμα σχημάτων σταδιακής καύσης. Στόχος της διατριβής είναι ο χαρακτηρισμός και ο έλεγχος της μίξης κατά την διαδικασία της σύγκλισης των δεσμών, συνεισφέροντας στην κατανόηση των βασικών μηχανισμών που αναπτύσσονται στο μέσο και τυρβώδες πεδίο, αλλά και στη βελτιστοποίηση της μίξης από την οποία εξαρτάται η μείωση των περιβαλλοντικών επιπτώσεων και η αύξηση της απόδοσης της καύσης, τόσο σε συστήματα παραγωγής ενέργειας όσο και σε θαλάμους καύσης κινητήρων αεροσκαφών, τα οποία αποτελούν τις πιο «φιλικές» ως προς το περιβάλλον αλλά και τις πιο αποδοτικές πρακτικές σε συστήματα καύσης. Παρά το γεγονός αυτό, η γνώση των επιμέρους φαινομένων και μηχανισμών που κυριαρχούν στο πεδίο της αλληλεπίδρασης αξονοσυμμετρικών δεσμών χαρακτηρίζεται από σημαντικές ελλείψεις, όσο αφορά την λεπτομερή καταγραφή του μέσου και τυρβώδους πεδίου ταχυτήτων. Η Ανεμομετρία Laser Doppler αποτελεί τα βασική μετρητική διάταξη που χρησιμοποιήθηκε για την καταγραφή των μέσων και τυρβωδών όρων του πεδίου της ταχύτητας. Το πλεονέκτημα της μεθόδου, που αποτελεί ένα από τα βασικά εργαλεία για τη μέτρηση τυρβωδών χαρακτηριστικών, είναι το γεγονός ότι δεν παρεμβαίνει στη ροή, καθώς στηρίζεται στην καταγραφή της συχνότητας του φωτός που σκεδάζεται από τροχιοδεικτικά σωματίδια, τα οποία ακολουθούν πιστά τη ροή. Η μελέτη στηρίζεται στην ανάλυση των μηχανισμών που αναπτύσσονται στο μέσο και τυρβώδες πεδίο και στον χαρακτηρισμό της μίξης των συστατικών των δεσμών, όπως αυτή αντικατοπτρίζεται στις πρώτης, δεύτερης και τρίτης τάξης ροπές της ταχύτητας, αλλά και στους αδιάστατους συντελεστές λοξότητας και επιπεδότητας. Σε αυτήν την κατεύθυνση, η παρούσα εργασία έχει σαν στόχο την ανάδειξη της ανάλυσης του ροϊκού πεδίου ως την πιο κρίσιμη παράμετρο ανάπτυξης σχημάτων καύσης, καθώς τα μεγέθη και η εξέλιξή τους έτσι όπως καταγράφονται μπορούν να χρησιμοποιηθούν άμεσα ως κριτήρια για την απόδοση τέτοιων σχημάτων, προσφέροντας την δυνατότητα της επιλογής των καλύτερων λειτουργικών παραμέτρων πριν ακόμα δοκιμαστούν σε περιβάλλον καύσης. Η τυρβώδης δομή και τα ανώτερα στατιστικά των ροπών της ταχύτητας κατά την αλληλεπίδραση των δεσμών χρησιμοποιούνται αρχικά ως βασικό εργαλείο της μελέτης των συγκεκριμένων διατάξεων σταδιακής καύσης και επιπλέον χρησιμοποιούνται για να χαρακτηρίσουν τη μίξη των συστατικών των δεσμών στις διαφορετικές περιοχές της αλληλεπίδρασης, πριν, κατά τη διάρκεια και μετά την σύγκλισή τους. Τα αποτελέσματα της εργασίας δείχνουν ότι δέσμες σχετικά μικρού αριθμού Reynolds (της τάξης των λίγων χιλιάδων) μπορούν να χρησιμοποιηθούν για την παραγωγή τυρβωδών δομών, όπου η μίξη ενισχύεται μέσω της αλληλεπίδρασής τους, γεγονός που μπορεί να έχει σημαντική επίδραση στην ανάπτυξη παρόμοιων εφαρμογών σε πραγματικής κλίμακας εγκαταστάσεις. / Τhis study aims to the assessment and analysis of the flow field produced by the interaction between two axisymmetric jets with different Reynolds numbers. The scheme is considered as a generic staged combustion configuration. In this frame, the identification and control of the mechanisms that dominate the flow field is one of the most significant issues towards the enhancement of mixing, thus the increasing of combustion operational and environmental efficiency. The scope of the study is to characterize and control the mixing process during the interaction and merging of the jets. The study contributes to the understanding of the dominating mechanisms occurring in the flow, through the assessment of the mean and turbulent flow features. The initial conditions used in the experiments diverge from the marginal conditions that refer to the interaction of equal momentum jets and the combining of a “strong” and a “weak” jet. In addition, due to the particularly low, although turbulent, Reynolds numbers used at jets’ exits, the capability of the jets to produce and maintain strongly turbulent structures during and after their interaction is also evaluated. During the experiments included in this thesis, a two dimensional Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) was used to measure the main components of the velocity vector (i.e. in the axial and the radial or horizontal directions). A pair of similar optical systems were used to produce two ellipsoidal control volumes and collect the light scattered by tracer particles, that faithfully represent the flow. Axisymmetric turbulent jets constitute the main component regarding the realization of staged combustion configurations based on multiple jets arrangements. Jet flow fields have been extensively studied during the last decades, mainly focusing on the self-similar region, i.e. the region where the mean and turbulent features are dynamically preserved. Recently, most of the studies are related to the identification of divergences arising from the different initial conditions and specific parameters, such as the shape of the orifice, the type of the confinement imposed at the exit, the jet density etc. The effects of these features are briefly summarized within the context of the thesis. In particular, the low Reynolds number effect is under consideration, as the jets recorded in the experiments are compared to typical previous studies devoted to the self-similarity region of jets with significantly higher Reynolds numbers. In the first part of the experiments, a jet of reference is monitored within an area covering the initial development and extends to the boundaries of the self-similarity region. Measurements include axial and radial distributions of the mean and turbulent axial and radial velocity components, turbulent shear stresses and terms that represent the turbulent transport of the Reynolds stresses. The budget of the turbulent kinetic energy is presented at the final measurement station, showing the particular mechanisms occurring in the flow. Measurements on the jets’ interaction field are presented afterwards. The distributions are systematically presented in comparison to the distributions recorded during the sole action of the primary jet Characteristic profiles are presented at locations within the merging and the mixing zones. In the early stages of development, the patterns of both jets can be identified. Within the merging region, besides the absorption of the secondary jet, the measurements indicate a spatial suppression of primary jet’s characteristics. Further downstream, the profiles resemble to those of a standalone jet. Higher values of the mean and turbulent terms are observed while the profiles extend over a wider region, in accordance with the secondary jet’s Reynolds number. Results of the present study demonstrate that skewness and flatness factors can be used as indicators of small scale mixing. The field of the interaction is further analyzed and discussed for a third pair of initial conditions and the proper decomposition of the mean and turbulent profiles using three different types of seeding conditions. In the early stages, the measurements confirm the independent action of the jets, although the tendency of the secondary jets’ pattern to be deformed. Within the merging zone, the distributions referring to the different types of seeding are characterized by humps and increased turbulent features in the secondary jet’s development region. The shape, the intensity and the extent of the humps depends on the seeding type. Most of the characteristics observed in this region are related to the probability density function distributions, which are composed by samples that correspond to tracers emanating from the individual sources. However, within the mixing zone, the profiles are nearly similar for the individual types of seeding, leading to the conclusion that all the samples contributing to measurements have been adapted by the flow field due to the small scale mixing, which is continuously improved further downstream.

Three dimensional nozzles and jet flows have attracted the attention of many researchers due to their potential application to many practical devices. Rectangular nozzles are considered for short/vertical take off and landing aircrafts for achieving powered lift. Axisymmetric nozzles with lobes, tabs or slots and elliptical nozzles are considered for noise reduction in aircrafts and mixing augmentation in airbreathing rockets. Interaction of supersonic jets with solid surface, as in the case of retro and ullage rockets in launch vehicles and interaction of multiple jets as in the case of launch vehicles with multiple booster rockets/multiple nozzle engines are of practical importance. Design of rockets and aircrafts employing these nozzles needs the understanding of the structure and behaviour of the complex three dimensional supersonic jets issuing from these nozzles. The problem is so complex that different investigators have addressed only some specific aspects of the problem and there is much more to be done to fully understand these flows. For example, in the case of rectangular nozzle with semi circular ends (known as elliptical nozzle), the investigations have been limited to a single nozzle of aspect ratio 3,0 and pressure ratio (ratio of the total pressure to ambient pressure) 3.0. Further, the measurements were made in the far field subsonic region beyond a distance of 20 times the equivalent nozzle radius (RJ. For the present study, the elliptical sonic nozzle of the type mentioned above was chosen, as it offered simplicity for manufacturing and carrying out computations, but has all the complex features associated with the three dimensional jets. A systematic study to understand the mean flow structure and the effect of important governing parameters like ratio and pressure ratio on the flow development process of the jet issuing from Navier-Stokes equations. The experimental study revealed many interesting flow features. It was found that the Underexpanded jet issuing from elliptical sonic nozzle spreads rapidly in the minor axis plane while it maintains almost constant width or contracts in the major axis plane. However, the gross spreading of this jet is much higher compared to the axisymmetric jet. The higher spreading rates experienced in the minor axis plane compared to the major axis plane of this 'et, results in the jet width in the minor axis plane to become higher than that in the major axis plane. The longitudinal location, where this occurs is called the axis switching location. This kind of axis switching phenomenon is known to exist for subsonic elliptical jets. However, for the present supersonic jets, the axis switching locations are much closer to the nozzle exit compared to the subsonic cases reported. It was further found that this location strongly depends on the pressure and aspect ratios. A critical pressure ratio was found to exist for each nozzle at which the axis switching location is the farthest. Above the critical pressure ratio, the axis switching location was observed to move upstream with the increase in the pressure ratio and is controlled by the complex interactions of shock and expansion waves near the nozzle exit. Below the critical pressure ratio, the axis switching location moves upstream with the decrease in pressure ratio and is controlled by some kind of instability in the minor axis plane. The shock structure present in the underexpanded jet from an elliptical nozzle was also observed to depend on both pressure and aspect ratios. For some aspect ratios and pressure ratios, the shock pattern observed in both the major and minor axis planes are similar to that of an axisymmetric jet, where the incident barrel shock and the Mach reflection (from the edges of the Mach disk) are present. But for all other cases, this shock continues to be seen only in the major axis plane. Whereas, in the minor axis plane, the incident shock is absent in the shock pattern. Detailed measurement in the jet cross sectional planes, for the case of aspect ratio 2.0 nozzle, shows that the cross sectional shape changes along the length and it becomes almost a circle at the axis switching location. Further downstream, the jet spreads rapidly in the minor axis plane whereas no significant change in the width of the jet in the major axis plane is observed. Far downstream, the jet boundary appears like a distorted ellipse with its major and minor dimensions lying respectively in the minor and major axis planes of the nozzle. The elongated shape of the jet cross sections at locations downstream of the axis switching point gives the impression that the entire flow in the major axis plane is turned towards the minor axis plane. This effect appears to be predominant at high pressure ratios. The computed near field shock structure in the planes of symmetry, pitot pressure distributions, cross sectional shape of the jet and the spreading pattern agree very well with the experimental results. In addition to this, the present computational method gives the detailed near field flow structure including the azimuthal extent of the incident shock, cross flow details and distributions of flow variables. It is shown that the present inviscid methodology can also predict the axis switching point accurately if it occurs before the formation of the Mach disk and it demonstrates that the jet growth phenomenon in the near field, atleast, is mainly controlled by the inviscid flow process. The computed results have shown that changes in the jet cross sectional shape in the near field is caused mainly by the interaction of compression and expansion waves with each other and with the constant pressure boundary. The inviscid method seems to be able to capture the complicated secondary cross flow structure (indicating presence of longitudinal vortices) of the elliptical jet. The complex mean flow structure in the near field region of the jet issuing from elliptical nozzles and the effect of nozzle aspect ratio and pressure ratio on the structure are brought out clearly in the present study. The mechanism governing the spreading and the axis switching characteristics are also brought out. Thus the present experimental and computational investigations give a comprehensive understanding of the mean flow structure of the underexpanded jets issuing from elliptical nozzles. Further studies are required to understand the other aspects of the elliptical jets as well as other three-dimensional jets. Some of these studies are identified for future work.