Asymmetric vortex shedding in the wake of an abruptly expanding annular jet


Vanierschot M., PERÇİN M., van Oudheusden B. W.

Experiments in Fluids, vol.62, no.4, 2021 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 62 Issue: 4
  • Publication Date: 2021
  • Doi Number: 10.1007/s00348-021-03177-9
  • Journal Name: Experiments in Fluids
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, PASCAL, Aerospace Database, Aquatic Science & Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA), Communication Abstracts, Compendex, INSPEC, Metadex, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

© 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.Abstract: In this paper, the structure of the turbulent wake behind the inner tube of a suddenly expanding annular jet flow is studied. The flow field is measured using tomographic particle image velocimetry and analyzed using proper orthogonal decomposition (POD). It was found that both the instantaneous and time-averaged central wakes behind the inner pipe are highly asymmetric despite the axisymmetric structure of the geometry. This asymmetry is the result of a bifurcation at low Reynolds numbers which persists up to the turbulent regime. The asymmetry induces a pair of counter-rotating vortices in the jet which are aligned with the main flow direction. Moreover, the asymmetry also induces a highly dynamical flow field. Analyzing the flow structures using POD shows that the wake oscillates around the asymmetric equilibrium position at a very low Strouhal number in the order of 0.01. On top of this motion, the inner shear layer oscillates with Strouhal numbers in the range of 0.1-0.3. This oscillation causes an asymmetric shedding of vortices of the hairpin type in the inner shear layer. As such, a local asymmetric region of very intensive mixing is induced near the stagnation point. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]