PIV Study of the Near-Field Region of a Turbulent Round Jet

Turbulent jets have been extensively studied in the past due to their fundamental importance and wide spread usage in numerous industrial processes to enhance momentum, heat and mass transfer. Most previous work focused on the far-field or self-similar region of the flow. However, the initial development region, where the flow is dominated by streamwise and large-scale, Kelvin-Helmholtz-type, structures, received far less attention. In the current study, Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) was used to obtain reliable statistics in the near-field region of a turbulent submerged jet. The jet issued from an 84 diameter, D, long pipe which ensured fully-developed turbulent flow conditions at the outlet. The two-dimensional flow field in the plane containing the jet axis was measured in the initial 8D region, for three Reynolds numbers: 14,602, 19,135, and 24,685. The selected Reynolds numbers overlap with the previously identified critical Reynolds number range, 10,000–20,000, where flow characteristics of a jet undergo a dramatic transition to a much more chaotic and well-mixed state or fully developed turbulence.