Naoki Kurimoto

Evolution of the streamwise vortices in a coaxial jet controlled with micro flap actuators

A coaxial jet was actively controlled by a MEMS-fabricated micro flap actuator nozzle. The effect of different control modes on secondary azimuthal instabilities and the evolution of streamwise vortices were investigated by applying stereoscopic PIV to the cross-stream plane of the jet. Forcing with non-symmetric modes, in particular the least-stable helical mode, accelerates the evolution of the streamwise vortices through the enhancement of azimuthal instabilities. Although forcing is applied to the outer shear layer of the outer jet, the control effect is most pronounced in the inner shear layer of the inner jet. Unlike in the natural jet, streamwise vortices appear in the inner shear layer of the controlled jet. For forcing with the fundamental axisymmetric mode, a Strouhal number of the order of unity maximise the azimuthal instabilities and hence the counts of the streamwise vortices. The present result is in accordance with our previous experimental findings in the longitudinal plane, where the evolution of the primary vortices and mixing between the inner and the outer jets were examined through 2D-PIV and PLIF (Kurimoto et al., 2004, Active control of coaxial jet mixing with arrayed micro actuators. Transactions of the Japanese Society of Mechanical Engineers, pp. 31–38.) This emphasises the connection between primary and streamwise vortices and their significance in the mixing enhancement process. It is also found that the azimuthal wavelength under the present control scheme is almost the same as that of the natural jet and independent of the streamwise position.

Active control of coaxial jet mixing with manipulation of primary vortical structures by arrayed micro flap actuators

Active mixing control of a methane/air isothermal coaxial jet was achieved using micro magnetic flap actuators arranged on the inner surface of the outer annular nozzle. The spatio-temporal evolution of vortical structures and the scalar mixing were studied through the particle image velocimetry and planar laser-induced fluorescence methods. In contrast to studies on jet control using acoustic forcing, the mechanical movement of the flap directly generated large-scale intense vortices. The mixing was enhanced significantly by the vortices formed in the inner shear layer, although the control input was given to the outer shear layer. It was found that the primary vortex rings dominated the near-field mixing, while streamwise vortices were responsible for the downstream mixing. It was also demonstrated that the radial range of the inner fuel transportation could be manipulated flexibly by adjusting the shedding interval of the vortices. Especially, the mixing was enhanced most significantly when the primary vortices were most densely populated near the nozzle exit at the control Strouhal number of unity.