Plasma-based Control of Supersonic Nozzle Flow

TL;DR

This study uses plasma actuators and simulations to control supersonic jet flow, revealing vortex dynamics and flow structure modifications that influence jet acoustics and mixing.

Contribution

It demonstrates the effectiveness of localized plasma actuators in controlling supersonic nozzle flow and elucidates vortex dynamics through simulations aligned with experimental observations.

Findings

Generation of elliptic vortex rings for m = +/- 1 modes

Elliptic jet shape due to vortex interactions

Stable vortex roll-up for m = 0 mode

Abstract

The flow structure obtained when Localized Arc Filament Plasma Actuators (LAFPA) are employed to control the flow issuing from a perfectly expanded Mach 1.3 nozzle is elucidated by visualizing coherent structures obtained from Implicit Large-Eddy Simulations. The computations reproduce recent experimental observations at the Ohio State University to influence the acoustic and mixing properties of the jet. Eight actuators were placed on a collar around the periphery of the nozzle exit and selectively excited to generate various modes, including first and second mixed (m = +/- 1 and m = +/- 2) and axisymmetric (m = 0). In this fluid dynamics video http://ecommons.library.cornell.edu/bitstream/1813/13723/2/Alljoinedtotalwithmodetextlong2-Datta%20MPEG-1.m1v, http://ecommons.library.cornell.edu/bitstream/1813/13723/3/Alljoinedtotalwithmodetextlong2-Datta%20MPEG-2.m2v}, unsteady and phase-averaged quantities are displayed to aid understanding of the vortex dynamics associated with the m = +/- 1 and m = 0 modes excited at the preferred column-mode frequency (Strouhal number 0.3). The unsteady flow in both contains a broad spectrum of coherent features. For m = +/- 1, the phase-averaged flow reveals the generation of successive distorted elliptic vortex rings with axes in the flapping plane, but alternating on either side of the jet axis. This generates a chain of structures where each interacts with its predecessor on one side and its successor on the other. Through self and mutual interaction, the leading segment of each loop is pinched and passes through the previous ring before rapidly breaking up, and the mean jet flow takes on an elliptic shape. The m = 0 mode exhibits relatively stable roll-up events, with vortex ribs in the braid regions connecting successive large coherent structures.