Venkateswaran Narayanaswamy

Characterization of a High-Frequency Pulsed-Plasma Jet Actuator for Supersonic Flow Control

thepulsed-plasmajet,thejetisinjectednormallyintoaMach3crossflowandthepenetrationdistanceismeasuredby using schlieren imaging. These measurements show that the jet penetrates 1.5 boundary-layer thicknesses into the crossflow andthe jet-to-crossflowmomentum fluxratioisestimated to be0.6.Aseries of experiments wasconducted to determine the characteristics of the pulsed-plasma jet issuing into stagnant air at a pressure of 35 torr. These resultsshowthattypicaljetvelocitiesofabout250 m=scanbeinducedwithdischargeenergiesofabout30mJperjet. Furthermore, the maximum pulsing frequency was found to be about 5 kHz, because above this frequency the jet beginstomisfire.Themisfiringappearstobeduetothe finitetimeittakesforthecavitytoberechargedwithambient air between discharge pulses. The velocity at the exit of the jet is found to be primarily dependent on the discharge current and independent of other discharge parameters such as cavity volume and orifice diameter. Temperature measurementsaremadeusingopticalemissionspectroscopyandrevealthepresenceofconsiderablenonequilibrium between rotational and vibrational modes. The gas heating efficiency was found to be 10% and this parameter is shown to have a direct effect on the plasma jet velocity. These results indicate that the pulsed-plasma jet creates a sufficiently strong flow perturbation that holds great promise as a supersonic flow actuator.

Kr-PLIF for scalar imaging in supersonic flows

Experiments were performed to explore the use of two-photon planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) of krypton gas for applications of scalar imaging in supersonic flows. Experiments were performed in an underexpanded jet of krypton, which exhibited a wide range of conditions, from subsonic to hypersonic. Excellent signal-to-noise ratios were obtained, showing the technique is suitable for single-shot imaging. The data were used to infer the distribution of gas density and temperature by correcting the fluorescence signal for quenching effects and using isentropic relations. The centerline variation of the density and temperature from the experiments agree very well with those predicted with an empirical correlation and a CFD simulation (FLUENT). Overall, the high signal levels and quantifiable measurements indicate that Kr-PLIF could be an effective scalar marker for use in supersonic and hypersonic flow applications.

Gradient trajectory analysis in a Jet flow for turbulent combustion modelling

Based on planar high-speed Rayleigh scattering measurements of the mixture fraction Z of propane discharging from a turbulent round jet into co-flowing carbon dioxide at nozzle-based Reynolds numbers Re 0 = 3000–8600, we use scalar gradient trajectories to investigate the local structure of the turbulent scalar field with a focus on the scalar turbulent/non-turbulent interface. The latter is located between the fully turbulent part of the jet and the outer flow. Using scalar gradient trajectories, we partition the turbulent scalar field into these three regions according to an approach developed by Mellado et al. (J.P. Mellado, L. Wang, and N. Peters, Gradient trajectory analysis of a scalar field with external intermittency, J. Fluid Mech. 626 (2009), pp. 333–365.). Based on these different regions, we investigate in a next step zonal statistics of the scalar probability density function (pdf) P(Z) as well as the scalar difference along the trajectory ΔZ and its mean scalar value Zm , where the latter two quantities are used to parameterize the scalar profile along gradient trajectories. We show that the scalar pdf P(Z) can be reconstructed from zonal gradient trajectory statistics of the joint pdf P(Zm , ΔZ). Furthermore, on the one hand we relate our results for the scalar turbulent/non-turbulent interface to the findings made in other experimental and numerical studies of the turbulent/non-turbulent interface, and on the other hand discuss them in the context of the flamelet approach and the modelling of pdfs in turbulent non-premixed combustion. Finally, we compare the zonal statistics for P(Z) with the composite model of Effelsberg and Peters (E. Effelsberg and N. Peters, A composite model for the conserved scalar pdf, Combust. Flame 50 (1983), pp. 351–360) and observe a very good qualitative and quantitative agreement.

PLIF imaging of naphthalene-ablation products in a Mach 5 turbulent boundary layer

A new technique is currently under development that uses planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) imaging of sublimated naphthalene to image the transport of ablation products in a hypersonic boundary layer. The primary motivation for this work is to understand scalar transport in hypersonic boundary layers and to develop a database for validation of computational models. The naphthalene is molded into a rectangular insert that is mounted flush with the floor of a Mach 5 wind tunnel. The distribution of naphthalene in the boundary layer is imaged by using PLIF, where the laser excitation is at 266 nm and the fluorescence is collected in the range of 320 to 380 nm. To investigate the use of naphthalene PLIF as a quantitative diagnostic technique, a series of experiments is conducted to determine the linearity of the fluorescence signal with laser fluence, as well as the temperature and pressure dependencies of the signal. The naphthalene fluorescence at 297 K is determined to be linear for laser fluence that is less than about 200 J/m 2 . The temperature dependence of the naphthalene fluorescence signal is found at atmospheric pressure over the temperature range of 297K to 525K. A monotonic increase in the fluorescence is observed with increasing temperature. Naphthalene fluorescence lifetime measurements were also made in pure-air and nitrogen environments at 300 K over the range 3.3 kPa to 101.3 kPa. The results in air show the expected Stern-Volmer behavior with decreasing lifetimes at increasing pressure, whereas nitrogen exhibits the opposite trend. Preliminary PLIF images of the sublimated naphthalene are acquired in a Mach 5 turbulent boundary layer. Relatively low signal-to-noise-ratio images were obtained at a stagnation temperature of 345 K, but much higher quality images were obtained at a stagnation temperature of 375 K. Our results indicate that PLIF of sublimating naphthalene may be an effective tool for studying scalar transport in hypersonic flows.

Method for acquiring pressure measurements in presence of plasma-induced interference for supersonic flow control applications

The operation of pulsed-plasma actuators for flow control is often associated with the presence of charged species in the flow and severe electromagnetic interference with external circuitry. These effects can lead to time-resolved transducer pressure measurements that are contaminated with electromagnetic interference effects or even transducer damage due to the interaction with charged species. A new technique is developed that enables high-bandwidth pressure measurements to be made in the presence of such rapidly switched plasma actuators. The technique is applied for the specific configuration of a pulsed-plasma jet actuator (spark jet) that is used to control the unsteadiness of a shock wave/boundary layer interaction generated by a compression ramp in a Mach 3 flow. The critical component of the technique involves using a pulsed-ground electrode to drain the charged species from the plasma jet before they reach the pressure transducer. The pulsed-ground electrode was shown to drain charged species into the pulsed ground prior to interacting with the transducer, which made it possible to make measurements without damaging the transducer. The resulting signals were still contaminated by electromagnetic interference spikes and so a data-processing technique was used to remove the artifacts and recover a largely uncontaminated power spectrum. The signal processing scheme used interpolation schemes previously developed for laser Doppler velocimetry applications. The data-processing procedure is demonstrated with a benchmark case in which the electromagnetic interference was isolated from the pulsed-plasma jet actuation effect. It is shown that the data-processing procedure removed the contamination from the electromagnetic interference at all frequencies but for the pulsing frequency and its higher harmonics.

Experimental investigation of primary and corner shock boundary layer interactions at mild back pressure ratios

Unstart of rectangular inlets occurs as a result of interactions between shock-induced separation units along the floor/ceiling, corner, and sidewalls. While a significant body of literature exists regarding the individual flow interactions at the inlet floor/ceiling (called primary separation) and sidewalls, limited efforts have focused on the mean and dynamic features of the corner separation. Experiments are conducted to investigate primary and corner shock boundary layer interactions (SBLI) with the objectives of elucidating the flow interactions that occur in the corner, and characterizing the interaction between the corner and primary separation units at mild back pressure ratios. Surface streakline flow visualization and high-frequency wall static pressure measurements are performed along the centerline and corner regions of shock-induced flow separation generated by a 12° compression ramp in a Mach 2.5 flow. Sidewall fences that extend upstream of the leading edge of the flat plate generate corner separation of adequate size to determine the mean flow structures, characterize the unsteady motions, and investigate the mechanisms that drive the unsteadiness of primary and corner SBLI. Results show that the corner and primary SBLI units differ fundamentally in both their mean and unsteady features and their response to upstream and downstream flow perturbations. These observations suggest that the two behave as independent units at this relatively low shock-induced back pressure ratio.

Composition-Independent Temperature and Pressure Measurements using Lineshape Scaling Information from Kr PLIF

Composition-independent temperature and pressure measurements using a variation of krypton planar laser-induced fluorescence (Kr-PLIF) techniques are being performed at North Carolina State University’s Turbulent Shear Flow Laboratory. The particular technique of interest will involve using excitation scan lineshape information. Closed-form relationships for the collisional broadening and shift have been determined in order to develop techniques that are independent of gas composition. Through vast experimentation of different gas compositions, proportionality relations have been developed to model the collisional shift and the collisional broadening characteristics based on material properties. The proposed temperature and pressure technique uses a combination of excitation scan properties, static wavelength signal ratios, and an iterative calculation process involving relationships for the collisional shift, collisional broadening, and theoretical signal ratios obtained from the overlap integral.