Experiments on a turbulent cylindrical wall jet

Abstract

The investigation described here is an experimental study directed toward determining flow field and surface friction characteristics of a cylindrical wall jet. The flow configuration is obtained by placing a cylindrical rod along the axis of a converging nozzle. The flow field thus produced consists of a developing turbulent boundary layer co-existing with an outer fluid layer that mixes freely with quiescent surroundings. Direct measurements of fluid friction at the rod surface, performed with a hot-film element, revealed a significant effect of transverse surface curvature on the local friction factor. Velocity profiles at various axial stations exhibited similarity in the outer mixing layer, but not in the boundary layer adjacent to the surface. Representations of the velocity field in terms of law of the wall variables and defect-law variables revealed significant transverse curvature effects. The measured wall-jet velocity profiles could be satisfactorily represented in terms of a law of the wake, wherein the wake function depends on a transverse curvature parameter. In the outer mixing layer, the eddy viscosity data correspond closely to those of free jets.