Fundamental Characteristics of Turbulent Opposed Impinging Jets

Abstract

A fundamental study of two turbulent directly opposed impinging jets in a stagnant ambient fluid, unconfined or uninfluenced by walls is presented. By experimental investigation and numerical modeling, the main characteristics of direct impingement of two turbulent axisymmetric round jets under seven different geometrical and flow rate configurations (L*= L/d = { 5, 10, 20 }, where L is nozzle to nozzle separation distance and d is nozzle diameter, and Re = { 1500, 4500, 7500, 11000 }) are discussed. Flow visualization and velocity measurements performed using various laser based techniques have revealed the effects of Reynolds number, Re, and nozzle to nozzle separation, L, on the complex flow structure. Although locally valid, the classical analysis of turbulence is found unable to provide reliable results within the highly unstable and unsteady impingement region. When used to simulate the present flow, the assessment of the performance of three distinct k - epsilon turbulence models showed little disagreement between computed and experimental mean velocities and poor predictions as far as turbulence parameters are concerned.