Control of Supersonic Elliptic Jet with Ventilated Tabs

Abstract

Abstract Control of Mach 1.5 elliptic jet with ventilated triangular tabs is studied experimentally, in the presence of different levels of pressure gradient at the nozzle exit. Three different sets of ventilated tabs with circular, triangular and trapezoidal ventilations were studied. Two tabs were placed, at the ends of major and minor axes, at the exit of the elliptic nozzle of aspect ratio 3.37. The mixing enhancement caused by these tabs was studied in the presence of adverse and favorable pressure gradients, corresponding to nozzle pressure ratio (NPR) from 3 to 8. For Mach 1.5 jet NPR 3 corresponds to 18 % adverse pressure gradient and NPR 8 corresponds to 118 % favorable pressure gradient. The results of ventilated tabs are compared with unventilated truncated triangular tabs of identical geometry. The difference between the mixing promoting efficiency of the unventilated and ventilated tabs is only marginal (around 5–6 %). All tabs cause jet bifurcation and weaken the waves in the jet core. The tab with trapezoidal ventilation, at NPR 3, promotes mixing to an extent of reducing the core to about 92 %. At higher NPRs the mixing caused by unventilated tab is slightly better than the ventilated tabs.