The 3D velocity field of an impacting turbulent jet

The flow structure of a normally impacting jet is of interest for both its practical importance and because it represents an important test case for the development and validation of turbulent flow models. Experimental data, obtained using Stereo Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (S-DPIV), is presented for a submerged impacting water jet, operating in the turbulent regime (Re = 23400). Profiles of time-averaged velocity, fluctuating velocity and shear stress are presented for the impaction region out to a radial distance of 2.5 jet diameters. The DPIV results showed good agreement with the probe data found in the literature. The application of the DPIV technique overcame the directional ambiguity problems associated with the probe techniques and errors associated with their operation in regions of high turbulence intensity. The potential spatial resolution limitations of the DPIV technique are discussed.