256 J. PROPULSION VOL. 4, NO.

Mixing of an Underexpanded Rectangular Jet Ejector

Yeu-Chuan Hsia*
Rockwell International Corporation, Conoga Park, California
Anjaneyulu Krothapallit
Florida State Unviersity, Tallahassee, Florida
and
Donald Baganofft
Stanford University, Palo Alto, California

An experimental investigation was carried out on a rectangular ejector (constant area mixing duct) with an
underexpanded rectangular jet as the primary flow. From the wall static pressure measurements, the ejector per-
Downloaded by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre on October 9, 2023 | http://arc.aiaa.org | DOI: 10.2514/3.23057

formance was found to show irregular variations with the primary jet pressure. Hot-wire measurements,
together with schlieren photographs, showed that better performance was obtained when the flow was well mix-
ed. The well-mixed flow was found when the screech tone Strouhal number was in the 0.11-0.14 range, which
agrees with the most unstable Strouhal number of the free underexpanded rectangular jet. By incorporating a
phase-locked technique with shlieren flow visualization, we were able to photograph standing waves excited by
the screech tones inside the ejector mixing duct. The interactions between the jet flow and the screech tones were
studied using this flow visualization technique.

Nomenclature V/STOL-type aircraft. However, the lack of understanding of

= cross-sectional area of primary nozzle the complex mixing processes that occur inside the ejector
A = cross-sectional area of mixing duct prevented further development of an efficient design for the
= (p—Pa)/Pa> pressure coefficient augmenter wing concept. Thus a systematic investigation was
= Cp at the entrance of the mixing duct carried out in the laboratory to study particularly the mixing
= average of six C^ measured processes of the lobe nozzle ejector flow. In order to closely
D = 5.0 mm, nozzle width (short dimension) simulate the augmenter wing ejector while keeping the prob-
= discrete tone frequency lem tractable, ejector models with rectangular nozzles and
f
H = 70.0 mm, height of mixing duct constant area rectangular ducts were used. The work pre-
L = 50.0 mm, nozzle length (long dimension) sented here is part of a research program to study the mixing
= surface static pressure characteristics of single and multiple rectangular jets in both
P
= jet total pressure free and confined configurations.
Po The mixing characteristics of an unconfined underexpanded
Pa = ambient pressure
R =Po/Pa> Jet pressure ratio jet exiting from a convergent rectangular nozzle (choked at the
St =f*D/Ue, Strouhal number nozzle exit) were studied by Krothapalli et al.3 Following these
u = mean velocity studies, experiments were carried out to investigate a confined
ue = jet exit velocity underexpanded rectangular jet (i.e., a jet ejector). In all these
w = mixing duct width investigations, the nozzle geometry used was the same, thus
X, Y,Z = Cartesian coordinates providing an opportunity to assess systematically the various
changes brought about by varying flow conditions.
The ejector performance is most frequently characterized by
Introduction the "thrust augmentation ratio." The thrust augmentation
O NE of the power-lift concepts proposed for V/STOL air-
craft propulsion is the augmenter wing1 that has an ejec-
tor system incorporated in the trailing edge. The rationale for
ratio is defined as the ratio of the thrust of the entire ejector
system to the thrust produced by isentropically expanding the
primary mass flow to ambient pressure. Several studies, both
using the augmenter wing is to utilize the ejector to develop experimental and theoretical, have been carried out during the
maximum lift with installed power during takeoff and land- past two decades on thrust augmenting ejectors. A review of
ing, but to return to conventional streamlined wing shape for these works can be found in recent papers by Quinn4 and
cruise. Large-scale augmenter wing models with both a slot- Porter et al.5 Most previous studies indicate that the overall
type nozzle and a lobe-type nozzle have been tested in the wind performance of the ejector with a fixed geometry depends
tunnel.2 Test results on the overall aerodynamics indicate that mainly on the degree of mixing attained between the primary
lobe nozzle offers improved performance over a single-slot and secondary streams. With this in mind, attempts have been
nozzle. Hence, it is of interest to the aircraft designer to use a made by several investigators to improve the mixing through
lobe nozzle in an ejector configuration to augment the lift of various types of nozzle designs, for example, the hyper mixing
nozzle.6
Although the ejector has been the subject of many research
Received June 1.0, 1986; revision submitted April 7, 1987. Copy- investigations, experimental results for ejectors operating at
right © American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc.,
1987. All rights reserved. practical engine pressures and temperatures are scarce. It is
* Member of Technical Staff, Rocketdyne Division. Member AIAA. known that when the stagnation pressure of a jet issuing from
tProfessor, Department of Mechanical Engineering. Member a convergent nozzle exceeds the critical pressure, the jet
AIAA. becomes underexpanded and exhibits quite different behavior
^Professor, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Member from that of a subsonic jet. Besides the appearance of a shock
AIAA. cell structure, the underexpanded jet generates intense discrete
 MAY-JUNE 1988 MIXING OF AN UNDEREXPANDED RECTANGULAR JET EJECTOR
tones,7 usually called screech tones. Under certain conditions,
the screech tones, while interacting with the jet, accelerate the
spreading of the jet and enhance the mixing.3'8'9 In a subsonic
jet ejector, such enhanced mixing was deliberately created by
using a flip-flop nozzle10 or a hypermixing nozzle.6 Therefore,
it is of great interest to study the mixing behavior of the
under expanded jet ejector.
In the experiments of an axisymmetric11 ejector with an
under expanded primary jet, Quinn found that for a short ejec-
tor the performance exceeded the theoretically predicted value
(using inviscid one-dimensional analysis) at certain pressures.
He observed that at these pressures the screech tone frequency
tuned to an asymmetric transverse resonant mode of the mix-
ing duct. Based on this observation, he hypothesized that the
improved performance was due to the acoustic-fluid interac-
tion. However, for a two-dimensional ejector (nozzle aspect
ratio = 133), Viets et al.12 found no significant improvement in
performance due to acoustic-fluid interactions. They at-
tributed this insignificant effect to the mismatch in the natural
frequencies of tones generated by the jet and the duct.
Downloaded by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre on October 9, 2023 | http://arc.aiaa.org | DOI: 10.2514/3.23057
This paper reports an experimental investigation on the mix-
ing behavior of an under expanded rectangular jet under the
influence of the screech tones in a constant area rectangular
duct.
In light of past experimental observations, the features of
the ejector flow are expected to depend on the following
parameters: aspect ratio of the primary nozzle; internal
geometry of the nozzle; internal geometry of the mixing duct;
inlet geometry of the duct; duct to nozzle area ratio; duct
length to width ratio; aspect ratio of the duct; primary nozzle
location with respect to the inlet of the duct; diffuser area
ratio; primary jet pressure ratio; Reynolds number; and condi-
tions of the ambient medium.
In the present investigation, a convergent rectangular nozzle
of fixed geometry was used for all the experiments. Top-hat
pitot pressure profiles were obtained at the nozzle exit.3 The
mixing duct cross-sectional area was constant along the duct
and a fixed duct length was used. The area of the duct cross-
section could be varied by adjusting the width of the duct. No
diffuser was employed in this study. Experiments were con-
ducted at various jet pressure ratios up to a value of 4.4. For
50
Nozzle
I I I I I •
All Dimensions are in
centimeters
Fig. 1 Schematic of the ejector model.
257
the highest pressure ratio tested, the Reynolds number based
on the nozzle width and the exit velocity, assuming isen-
tropically expanded flow, was about 1.7 x 105.
Apparatus, Instrumentation and Procedures
A blow-down type air supply system was used to provide the
air flow for the experiment. The jet total pressure could be
maintained steady to an accuracy better than ±0.1 psi for the
duration of each test.
The ejector model has two major components: a rectangular
primary nozzle and a rectangular shroud (see Fig. 1). The
primary nozzle had an aspect ratio of 10 (L = 50.0 mm, D = 5.0
mm). The nozzle exit, which had a lip thickness of 1.7 mm was
preceded by a 4 cm long rectangular (50.0x 5.0 mm) channel.
The convergent entrance region was designed to provide
smooth contraction with a contraction ratio of 22.
The ejector shroud consisted of a convergent inlet and a
constant area mixing duct, both having rectangular cross sec-
tions. The inlet section was made using arc segments of cir-
cular cylinders. Two different curvatures were used in the four
walls of the inlet section (see Fig. 1). The curved surfaces were
extended to the corners of the rectangular cross section so that
there were no gaps between the adjacent walls. The inlet sec-
tion was designed to ensure a smooth acceleration for the
secondary flow without any local separation. The connection
between the inlet section and the mixing duct was placed 1.1
cm downstream from the primary nozzle exit. The constant
area mixing duct was 50.0 cm long. The rectangular cross sec-
tion of the duct had a fixed height (H) of 7.0 cm and an ad-
justable width (w) between 3 and 13 cm. The two duct walls
parallel to the short dimension of the nozzle, which had op-
tical windows for flow visualization, as shown in Fig. 1, could
be replaced by walls with pressure taps for measurements.
A Caretesian coordinate system was used with its origin
located at the center of the primary nozzle (see Fig. 1). The X
axis was oriented along the centerline of the jet. The Y and Z
axes were parallel to the short and long dimensions of the noz-
zle, respectively.
Six arrays of static pressure taps were made on the four
walls of the ejector shroud, as indicated by the Roman
numerals in Fig. 1. Fourteen taps were distributed in each ar-
v iy vl
4t«
* ij
H = 7.0 l- ^ L'5.0
t m
.'•
65
Y
—*— « M i r rnr
. '——^_l
Wall pressure taps
 258 HSIA, KROTHAPALLI, AND BAGANOFF
ray. A Scani valve type /system (four 24-port units) controlled
by a DEC RT-11 computer was used as the pressure scanning
device. The system included four ±2.5 psid pressure
transducers.
Velocity measurements were made with a DISA 55M10 con-
stant temperature anemometer in conjunction with a DISA
55M25 linearizer. The hot wire used was a DISA 55P11 single
normal platinum-coated tungsten wire with a 5/mi diameter
and Imm length. The frequency response of the hot-wire elec-
tronics, in response to a square wave test with the probe placed
in a high speed (Mach number = 0.8) low turbulence jet, was
approximately 40 kHz.
The near field sound measurements were made using a B&K
type 4138 microphone (3-mm diam), which has a flat response
to about 100 kHz; The location of the microphone, as shown
in Fig. l j was held fixed throughout the experiment. The
signal from the microphone was passed through the amplifier
of a B&K type 2113 spectrometer. The signal from the
amplifier was displayed on ail oscilloscope and sent to a
Nicolet type 660B spectrum analyzer.
Downloaded by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre on October 9, 2023 | http://arc.aiaa.org | DOI: 10.2514/3.23057
A self-synchronizing schlieren system13 employing a phase-
locked technique was used for flow visualization. The optics
employed were a conventional schlieren setup, with a single
pass design with the optical axis folded twice by using two
spherical mirrors (25 cm diam, 305 cm focal length). The light
source employed was a stroboscopic flash unit having flash
durations adjustable from 1.3 to 7.0 jus at five discrete values.
The flash unit could be triggered by an external synchronizing
signal to produce phase-locked images or internal pulses with
a frequency selected by the operator to act as a continuous
source. Single flash (1.5 jus duration) schlieren photographs
were taken using Polaroid type 57 instant film (ASA 3000).
Polaroid type 52 film (ASA 400) was used to obtain multiple
exposure (fifty-five 1.3 /^s flashes) schlieren photographs.
The controlling parameters in this investigation were the
primary stagnation pressure (pQ) and the ejector mixing duct
width ( W ) . The stagnation pressure varied from 30 psia to 65
psia, which corresponds to pressure ratios (R =Po/pa) varying
Free
jet
Ejector
W/D = 24
W/D = 20
W/D = 16
R = 2.4 3.0
Fig. 2 Single exposure schlieren photographs of the free jet and the confined jet.
J. PROPULSION
from 2 to 4.4. For comparison purposes, some measurements
of the ejector with subsonic primary jet (R<1.9) were also
made. The mixing duct width varied from 4 to 12 cm, which
corresponds to duct nozzle width ratio (W/D) varying from 8
to 24. Since the height of the mixing duct (H) was fixed, the
width ratio was equivalent to the cross-sectional area ratio
(A2/AQ) which varied from 11.2 to 33.6. Most of the data
presented here are limited to W/D = 20 or A2/A-0 = 28.
The jet stagnation temperature was carefully mainted to
within 1°C about the ambient temperature for hot-wire
measurements. But for flow visualization and pressure
measurements, it was kept within ±10°C.
Results and Discussion
Overall phenomena
Schlieren flow visualization was used first to study the
overall phenomena of the ejector flow. Single exposure (1.5 jus
duration) schlieren photographs qf the ejector and the free jet
in the plane containing the short dimension of the nozzle were
taken for jet pressue ratios (R) ranging from 2 to 4.4. Selected
photographs are displayed in Fig. 2. The photgraphs of the
freejet cover a distance from the nozzle exit to a downstream
location of about 40 Z>, where D is the width of the primary
nozzle, while the photographs of the ejector flow cover a
distance from 3 D to 40 D downstream of the nozzle exit,
which is about two-fifths of the mixing duct (100 D long). All
the photographs are aligned with respect to the primary nozzle
exit.
For pressure ratios R> 1.9, the flow beyond the nozzle exit
is suspersonic and results in the formation of a series of shock
cells, as shown in Fig. 2. In the range of pressure ratios from 3
to 4.4 for the case of a free jet, a cylindrical wave pattern
which originates alternately from two sides of the jet is ob-
served. Associated with this pattern is a relatively large
spreading of the jet, characterized by the spreading angle.
Similar wave patterns are also observed for the confined jet.
However, the wave system, because of reflections from the
confining surfaces, seems to be more complex than that found
3.7 4.4
 MAY-JUNE 1988 MIXING OF AN UNDEREXPANDED RECTANGULAR JET EJECTOR
in the corresponding free jet. Also for a given R, the
characteristic wavelength of the acoustic waves in the ejector
seems to be shorter than that of a free jet. It is observed that in
the presence of strong acoustic waves, the spreading rate of a
confined jet is comparable to that of a free jet at correspon-
ding conditions. Comparing the photographs of a confined jet
for a given R and at different duct widths, it is observed that
the jet spreading rate depends weakly on the area ratio for the
conditions tested.
From a previous investigation of a free underexpanded rec-
tangular jet3'14 and the schlieren photographs studied here, the
following observations are made. Although discete tones or
screech tones are found in the near sound field of the jet for all
the pressure ratios above the critical pressure ratio (i.e.,
R = 1.9), they are most intense and have greatest effect on the
overall flowfield only in the range of pressure ratios from 3 to
4.5. When the jet is operating within this range, associated
with the presence of the wave system is an increased spreading
of the jet in the plane containing the small dimension of the
nozzle. Generally, the large spreading of the jet leads to better
Downloaded by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre on October 9, 2023 | http://arc.aiaa.org | DOI: 10.2514/3.23057
mixing. For the nozzle used, the maximum screech sound
radiation occurs at a pressure ratio of 3.4. When the jet is
operating outside this range (R = 3 to 4.5) of pressure ratios,
the influence of screech tones on the mixing of the jet is quite
limited. With these observations in mind, it is of interest to
determine the conditions at which a better mixing of the
primary and secondary streams is achieved. These in turn pro-
vide the range of parameters for a better performance of the
ejector. In light of these observations, the following quan-
titative measurements are made.
Surface Pressure Measurements
The surface pressure distribution along the duct wall can
provide knowledge of the flowfield and give indications of the
additional thrust produced by the shroud. Due to the limita-
tions of the test facility and instrumentation, the total thrust
of the ejector and the flow velocity inside the duct were not
measured. Surface pressures were measured on the four walls
of the ejector shroud for pressure ratios up to 4.4 and five duct
widths (W/D = 8-24). A typical distribution of the pressure
coefficient along the walls of the ejector for a width ratio of 20
and at a pressure ratio of 3.4 is shown in Fig. 3. The pressure
coefficient Cp is defined as (p-pa)/Pa> where/? is the local
surface static pressure and pa is the ambient pressure. The
horizontal axis ( X ' ) used in Fig. 3 is the distance measured
from the entrance of the mixing duct, which is 1.1 cm
downstream from the primary nozzle exit. The six different
symbols identified by the Roman numerals indicate the loca-
tions of the six arrays of pressure taps on the duct walls.
Figure 3 shows that the pressure variations along the duct on
the four duct walls exhibit similar behavior. These pressure
distributions are also similar to those found in axisymmetric
and two-dimensional ejectors with constant area mixing
W/D = 2 0 . R = 3.4
- 0.10 I l l f , 1 1 1 i i i i i i
-OJ08 - ^h-•> x'
0
a A
t
_ij
-0.06
CP o*
A
-0.04 -. A
ft
a -0.04
A
-0.02 6
i l l i i i i i i i ?
0 ———————————————————————————————————————————
-8 0 20 40 60 80 10
X/D
Fig. 3 Streamwise variation of the surface pressure on the ejector
walls.
259
ducts.15'16 In Fig. 3, it is observed that the magnitude of the
pressure coefficient decreases with increasing downstream
distance to reach a minimum at the end of the inlet section, in-
dicating the acceleration of the secondary flow in the inlet
region. While in the constant area duct, due to the spreading
and turbulent mixing of the primary jet, the surface pressure
increases with downstream distance until it reaches the am-
bient pressure at the ejector exit.
In the present experiment, due to the complex geometry, the
pressure in the inlet region is not uniform in each cross sec-
tion. While in the mixing duct, a nearly uniform pressure in
each cross section is observed for X' ID greater than about 20.
In this region, the variation of Cp along the duct shows two
different slopes which switch at about X'/D = 6Q. Similar
behavior can be observed in the measurements by Quinn15 for
an axisymmetric ejector and Bernal and Sarohia16 for a two-
dimensional ejector. On inspecting the velocity profiles in
these two regions as measured by Bernal and Sarohia, it may
be suggested that the change in pressure gradient is a result of
the jet flow reaching the duct walls.
The thrust contributed by the ejector shroud is equal to the
integration of the wall pressure in the direction parallel to the
ejector axis. For an ejector with a constant area mixing duct,
the excess thrust comes mainly from the inlet section. This
being the case, it may be argued that the magnitude of surface
pressures in the inlet region determines the thrust performance
of an ejector. Also, in the one-dimensional inviscid com-
pressible ejector flow analysis by Keenan and Neumann,17 the
pressure at X' /D = 0 was found to vary linearly with the jet
pressure ratio. Therefore, a comparison between the measured
pressure at X' ID = 0 and the corresponding theoretical value
at different pressure ratios can indicate the dependence of the
ejector performance on R.
The pressure coefficient Cpat X' /D = 0 is denoted as CPl.
There are six pressure taps located at X' /D = 0 on the ejector
walls. In Fig. 4, the average of the six CPl, denoted as CPl, is
plotted against the jet pressure ratio R. Also included in the
figure is the solution of an invisid one-dimensional compressi-
ble ejectory theory following Quinn.15 Care has to be taken in
making the comparison between the experiment and the
theory for the present investigation due to the complex model
configuration. It is noted that the primary nozzle was placed
about two nozzle widths upstream from the entrance of the
constant area mixing duct while the theory assumed no such
offset. It is also noted that four of the six pressure taps were
located very close to the jet where the pressures would be
lower than the true mean. For these reasons, the theoretical
result is used here only as a guide to show the trend of the ejec-
tor performance with respect to the pressure ratio. When the
primary jet is subsonic (/?<!.9), CPl varies linearly with R
and agrees well with the one-dimensional ejector theory.
When the jet pressure ratio is above the choking condition
(i.e., for R>1.9)9 CP{ shows irregular variation with R and
W/D= 20
i i
O Experiment
o I —— Theory
• II *-
HI
_
A IV
D V
• VI
-0.06
5.0
Fig. 4 Variation of the surface pressure at the mixing duct entrance
with primary jet pressure ratio; Area ratio = 20.
 260 HSIA, KROTHAPALLI, AND BAGANOFF J. PROPULSION

does not follow the theoretical curve. A sudden jump in CPl to

a value higher than that predicted by the theory occurs at W/D - 16
^ = 3.7, indicating an abnormal thrust increase. Similar O Experiment
behavior has also been observed in the ejector of different -o.io
—— Theory
duct widths, except that the pressure ratio at which the jump
in Cp occurs varies with width or area ratios. For example, as
shown in Fig. 5, the jump in CPI occurs at R = 3.6 for an area
ratio of 16, while for an area ratio of 24, the jump occurs at
R = 4. From these limited observations, it is suggested that the -0.06

pressure ratio at which the jump occurs increases with area

ratio. As will be shown later, this is a result of the enhanced
mixing of the primary and secondary streams inside the duct.
-0.02
Mixing Characteristics
Hot-wire measurements were made to study the degree of
mixing of the flow at the ejector exit. Measurements were 3.0
made in the two central planes of the nozzle (X, Y and X,Z
planes) at the ejector exit. In Fig. 6, mean velocity profiles at Fig. 5 Variation of the surface pressure at the mixing duct entrance
the ejector exit in the central X, Y plane for four pressure with primary jet pressure ratio; area ratio = 16.
ratios are shown. The profile for the case of R= 1.52, which
Downloaded by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre on October 9, 2023 | http://arc.aiaa.org | DOI: 10.2514/3.23057

corresponds to a jet exit Mach number of 0.8, is included in

the figure to show a typical nonuniform velocity profile of a
subsonic jet ejector. The profile shows inflection points at 150
Y/D of about ±6. Such a profile is generally observed in a
region where the primary jet does not reach the ejector walls
(see, for example, Bernal and Sarohia16). On comparing the A
A
A
O

velocity profiles for both free and confined jets at the same
downstream location, it was found that the magnitude of the O
center line velocity for a confined jet is higher and correspon-
dingly the spreading is less. The reduction of the confined jet 100-
spreading rate is caused by the secondary stream. For pressure
U
ratios R = 2.7 and 3.58, the velocity distributions are typical of
(m/wc)
constant area ejector exit profiles, when the flow is not fully
mixed. However, at a further increase in pressure ratio to O <N O
3.86, the velocity profile changes from a parabolic shape (for
example, at R = 3.58) to a saddle-shaped profile, indicating an
almost fully mixed flow at the end of the ejector. A similar W/D = 20
x^
saddle-shaped profile was also observed by Quinn15 in an ax- O R=3.86 o
isymmetric ejector with an under expanded primary jet at o
- V° A 3.58 o
approximately the same pressure ratio. In light of the observa- $ O 2.70
tions on the variation of CPl with R (Fig. 4), it is perhaps
logical to suggest that a better performance of the ejector is
8
o» i , i
O
, I
1.52
. i , i
1
To
obtained when better mixing between the primary and secon- ^ -§ -4 0 4 • ^
dary steams is achieved. For the set of conditions presented Y/D
here such a phenomenon occurs for R greater than about 3.7. w,
Wall
Because of the three-dimensional nature of the flow, it is Fig. 6 Ejector exit mean velocity profiles in the central *, y plane.
important to know the mixing properties in the plane contain-
ing the long dimension of the nozzle (X,Z plane). The mean
velocity profiles at the ejector exit in the central X,Z plane for type of staging behavior is quite similar to that observed in
four pressure ratios are shown in Fig. 7. The profile for a sub- edge tone flows.18 It is found that the step sizes between the
sonic primary jet (R= 1.52) is fairly uniform while those for stages are approximately equal. Similar observations made by
underexpanded primary jet (R>1.9) show a nonuniform Quinn11'15 in his experiments on an underexpanded axisym-
distribution but are similar to one another. Because of the metric jet ejector showed that each of the frequency stages
similarity of the profiles for the underexpanded jet in the X,Z corresponded to one of the duct modes. With this in mind, the
plane, it is suggested that the mixing in the X, Y plane plays a duct modes were calculated using a two-dimensional wave
dominant role on the performance of the ejector. equation with appropriate boundary conditions assuming no
flow in the duct. The dashed lines in the figure correspond to
Screech Tone Characteristics the calculated odd-numbered transverse modes of the duct. It
In order to study the effects of screech tone on the ejector is clearly seen that the frequencies at the discontinuities
flow, near-field microphone measurements were made. A separating the stages coincided with the calculated modes of
typical frequency spectrum of the near-field microphone the duct. With reference to Figs. 4 and 6, it is found that the
signal for a pressure ratio fo 3.72 and W/D = 20 is shown in conditions at which enhanced mixing in the duct occurs are
Fig. 8. Besides the harmonics of each other, the figure shows during the last stage, and the corresponding frequencies match
several discrete frequencies at 5.6, 8.6, and 14.3 kHz. the rest with one of the duct modes: (7,0), where 7 is the mode number
of the spikes are their harmonics. For a given width ratio, in the dimension parallel to the Y axis. Although, the other
these discrete frequencies vary with pressure ratio in a manner stages also match with one of the duct modes, no improved
shown in Fig. 9. The open circles in the figure represent the mixing was observed at those conditions. Hence, the matching
amplitude dominant frequencies. Also included in the figure is of the frequency stages with duct modes is not a criterion for
the variation of the screech tone frequency of a corresponding enhanced mixing of the ejector flow.
free jet. Unlike the continuous variation of the freejet screech In an attempt to explain the enhanced performance of the
tone frequency, the dominant tones of the ejector flow show a ejector at certain pressure ratios, a further examination of the
distinct staging behavior with increasing R for jR>2.6. This discrete tone data was undertaken. The main dimensionless
 MAY-JUNE 1988 MIXING OF AN UNDEREXPANDED RECTANGULAR JET EJECTOR 261

O — DOMINANT TONE
W/D = 20 x — SECONDARY TONE
30
150-
DUCT
MODES

(m.n)

(13.0)
20
100- (11.0)
f
(9.0)
U (kHz)
(m/s«c)
(7.0)
10
50- FREE JET
Downloaded by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre on October 9, 2023 | http://arc.aiaa.org | DOI: 10.2514/3.23057

2JO 3.0 4.0

Fig. 9 Variation of the ejector discrete tone frequencies with

Wall Wall pressure ratio.

Fig. 7 Ejector exit mean velocity profiles in the central x, z plane. W/D = 2 0

W/D = 20 R = 3.72
0.3

St
0.2
120
Free jet ooo
110 0.1

100

10 20 30 50
f (kHz)
Fig. 10 Variation of the Strouhal number of the ejector screech tone
Fig. 8 The spectrum of the near field microphone signal. with pressure ratio.

parameter of importance is the Strouhal number, which is
defined here as St=fD/U0, where/is the fundamental fre-
quency of the screech tone, D the nozzle width, and U0 the
calculated mean velocity at the nozzle exit for ideally ex-
panded isentropic flow. Figure 10 shows the variation of this
Strouhal number with pressure ratio for both the free and con-
fined jets. For a free jet, it is observed that the value of St
decreases monotonically with increasing pressure ratio. While
for the confined jet, the variation of St with pressure ratio
showed a staging behavior, as in many other discrete tone
generating flows. Although discrete tones or "screech" ones
are found in the near sound field for all pressure ratios above
the critical pressure ratio, they are most intense and have
greatest effect on the overall flowfield only at selected pressure
ratios. At these conditions, the screech tones serve as an
acoustic excitation for the entire jet flowfield. When the fre-
quency of the acoustic excitation lies within the instability
band, it serves to introduce large scale coherent structures in
the turbulent flow, thus enhancing the overall mixing. Such
structures were observed in both central planes of a free jet.
The Strouhal number for these organized large scale motions
was found to be equal to 0.12.3 In general, the most unstable
Strouhal number for rectangular jets appears to be in the
range of 0.11-0.14. For the confined jet, the Strouhal
numbers that correspond to this range belong to the last stage
as shown in Fig. 10 for an area ratio of 20. Also, from Fig. 6, a
completely mixed velocity profile at the ejector exit was
observed at a pressure ratio corresponding to the last stage.
Similar results were also obtained at other area ratios. In light
of these observations, it is perhaps logical to suggest that the
enhanced mixing inside the ejector, and in turn, the improved
performance are achieved when the screech tone frequency
falls within the instability band of the free jet.
Phase-Locked Flow Visualization
To further investigate the duct modes and the sound-flow
interactions, a self-synchronizing schlieren system was
developed to allow phase-locked visualization of flows in-
teracting with multiple discrete tones. Using the phase-locked
technique to trigger the light source at a particular phase in a
cycle of a selected discete frequency and to superimpose multi-
ple images on a single film, flow motions in phase with this
frequency can be enhanced and small scale turbulence is
cancelled out.
Figures 11 a-lie are multiple-exploser schlieren photo-
graphs at three pressure ratios with the light source triggered
in phase with the dominant tone frequency. Each photograph
represents one stage in Fig. 9. The photographs cover the ejec-
tor flow from 3D to 40Z>. In the upstream region, the images
of the flow are similar to the single exposure photographs
shown in Fig. 2. Shock cells and large scale vortices can be
seen accompanied by intense cyclindrical waves centered in the
jet body and reflected between the duct walls. Downstream
from this region, wave patterns parallel to the duct wall can be
observed in Figs, lla and lib (indicated by the arrows). These
parallel waves, which have the same wavelengths as the cylin-
drical waves, are the standing waves in the duct transverse
direction (parallel to Y axis). The normal modes correspon-
 262 HSIA, KROTHAPALLI, AND BAGANOFF
W/D = 20
Downloaded by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre on October 9, 2023 | http://arc.aiaa.org | DOI: 10.2514/3.23057
3.86
Fig. 11 Phase-averaged schlieren photographs of the ejector flow at
different pressure ratios.
ding to the standing waves agree with those calculated values
shown in Fig. 9. Phase-locked schlieren photographs for other
stages (not shown) also display these parallel wave patterns.
These photographs confirm the existence of the duct mode ex-
cited by the screech tones. However, in Fig. lie, no standing
wave patterns can be discerned. This might be a result of the
enhanced mixing of the flow for R = 3.86.
Concluding Remarks
Based on the experimental results described above, the
following conclusions can be drawn. A confined under ex-
panded jet, like a free jet, generates intense discrete tones.
However, unlike in a free jet, the variation of the dominant
tone frequency with pressure ratio exhibits a staging behavior.
In each of these stages, the frequency is nearly constant and
matches with one of the transverse duct modes. Standing
waves corresponding to these duct modes are photographed
using a phase-locked schlieren system.
The performance of the underexpanded rectangular jet ejec-
tor is improved at cerain primary jet pressure ratios due to
enhanced mixing. At these conditions, the Strouhal number of
the ejector dominant tone is found to be in a range of
0.11-0.14, which is also the range for the most unstable
J. PROPULSION
Strouhal number of the free jet. Thus the criterion for the
enhanced mixing and improved performance to occur was
found to be related to the Strouhal number of the screech
tone, rather than the matching of frequencies of the screech
tone and the duct mode.
Acknowledgment
This work was supported by Air Force Office of Scientific
Research under contract number F49620-79-0189.
References
^orbacher, O.K., "Aerodynamics of Powered High-Lift
Systems," Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics, Vol. 6, 1974, pp.
319-358.
2
Aiken, T.N., "Aerodynamica nd Noise Measurements on a Quasi-
Two-Dimensional Augmentor Wing Model with Lobe-Type
Nozzles," NASA TMX-62237, Sept. 1973.
3
Krothapalli, A., Hsia, Y., and Baganoff, D., and Karamcheti, K.,
"The Role of Screech Tones on Mixing of an Underexpanded Rec-
tangular Jet," Journal of Sound and Vibration, Vol. 106, No. 1,
1986, pp. 119-143.
4
Quinn, B., "Thrust Augmenting Ejector: A Review of the Ap-
plication of Jet Mechanics to V/STOL Aircraft Propulsion," Fluid
Dynamics of Jets with Applications to V/STOL, AGARD-CPP-308,
Nov. 1981.
5
Porter, J.L., Squyers, R.A., and Nagaraja, K.S., "An Overview
of Ejector Theory," AIAA Paper 81-1678, Aug. 1981.
6
Bevilaqua, P.M., "Evaluation of Hypremixing for Thrust
Augmenting Ejectors," Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 11, June 1974, pp.
348-354.
7
Powell, A., "On the Noise Emanating from a Two-Dimenional Jet
Above the Critical Pressure," The Aeronautical Quarterly, Vol. 4,
Feb. 1953.
8
Hammitt, A.G., "The Oscillation and Noise of an Overpressure
Sonic Jet," Journal of Aerospace Sciences, Vol. 28, Sept. 1961.
9
Glass, D.R., "Effects of Acoustic Feedback on the Spread and
Decay of Supersonic Jets," AIAA Journal, Vol. 6, Oct. 1968, pp.
1890-1897.
10
Viets, H., "Slip-Flop Jet Nozzle," AIAA Journal, Vol. 13, Oct.
1975, pp. 1375-1379.
n
Quinn, B., "Interactions Between Screech Tones and Ejector Per-
formance," Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 14, May 1977.
12
Viets, H., Campbell, J.R. and Korkan, K.D., "Acoustic Interac-
tions in Ejectors," AIAA Paper 81-2045, Oct. 1981.
13
Hsia, Y., "An Experimental Investigation of an Underexpanded
Rectangular Jet Ejector," Ph.D Thesis, Stanford University, Stan-
ford, CA, June 1984.
14
Krothapalli, A., Baganoff, D., Hsia, Y., and Karamcheti, K.,
"On the Mechanism of Screech Tone Generation in Underexpanded
Rectangular Jets," AIAA Paper 83-0727, April 1983.
15
Quinn, B., "Ejector Performance at High Temperatures and
Pressures," Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 13, Dec. 1976, pp. 948-954.
16
Bernal, L.P. and Sarohia, V., "Entrainment and Mixing in
Thrust Augmenting Ejectors," AIAA Paper 83-0172, Jan. 1983.
17
Keenan, J.H. and Neumann, E.P., "A Simple Air Ejector,"
Journal of Applied Mechanics, Transactions of the ASME, Vol. 64,
1942, pp. A75-A81.
18
Karamcheti, K., Bauer, A.B., Shields, W.L., Stegen, G.R., and
Wooley, J.P., "Some Features of an Edge-Tone Flow Field," NASA
SP-207, 1969.