Plane turbulent jets in a bounded fluid layer

Abstract

An experimental investigation of plane turbulent jets in bounded fluid layers is presented. The development of the jet is regular up to a distance from the orifice of approximately twice the depth of the fluid layer. From there on to a distance of about ten times the depth, the flow is dominated by secondary currents. The velocity distribution over a cross-section of the jet becomes three-dimensional and the jet undergoes a constriction in the midplane and a widening near the bounding surfaces. Beyond a distance of approximately ten times the depth of the bounded fluid layer the secondary currents disappear and the jet starts to meander around its centreplane. Large vortical structures develop with axes perpendicular to the bounding surfaces of the fluid layer. With increasing distance the size of these structures increases by pairing. These features of the jet are associated with the development of quasi two-dimensional turbulence. It is shown that the secondary currents and the meandering do not significantly affect the spreading of the jet. The quasi-two-dimensional turbulence, however, developing in the meandering jet, significantly influences the mixing of entrained fluid.