Pressure spectra in turbulent free shear flows

Abstract

Spectral models for turbulent pressure fluctuations are developed by directly Fourier transforming the integral solution to the Poisson equation for a homogeneous constantmean-shear flow. The turbulence-turbulence interaction is seen to possess the well-known k −7/3 inertial subrange and to dominate the high-wavenumber region. The turbulence–mean-shear contribution is seen to be dominant in the energy-containing range and falls off as $k^{-\frac{11}{3}}$ in the inertial subrange. The subrange constants and the mean-square pressure fluctuation are evaluated using a spectral model for the velocity. A spectral analysis of the velocity contamination of a pressure probe is also presented. Results are compared with spectral measurements with a static-pressure probe in the mixing layer of an axisymmetric jet.