The spread of a turbulent plane jet issuing into a parallel moving airstream

Abstract

The results of an experimental investigation into the development of a turbulent plane jet issuing into a parallel moving airstream are described. On the basis of a simple dimensional argument, it is shown that the results for the spread of jets with different ratios of jet nozzle to free-stream velocity can be collapsed into a single universal curve provided the effective origins of the various sets of data can be shifted. Evidence is found of a change in structure of the jet from a self-preserving plane jet flow near the origin of the flow towards a selfpreserving wake type of flow far downstream from the origin. This change of structure is compared with a prediction based on a simple application of Town-send's large-eddy hypothesis. It is shown that the hypothesis does not account for the way in which the jet structure changes and possible reasons for this are briefly discussed. Finally, some comments are made on the usefulness of the various theories of jet spreading.