Flow field characterization of coaxial conical and serrated (chevron) nozzles

PIV measurements were performed to provide insight into the effect of serrated (chevron) nozzles on the flow field of a coaxial circular jet. The serrations were tested on the primary nozzle. Mean flow results showed that the chevron effectively redistributes momentum from the high velocity center stream outward to the lower velocity secondary stream by creating lateral jets. This leads to a more rapid decay of the peak jet velocity and a consequent reduction in the length of the jet potential core. Local increases of up to 65% in the outer stream velocity were measured. The interaction of the secondary jets with the lower velocity outer stream produces increases in turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) near the center nozzle lip. These flow field effects correlate with the jet’s acoustic emissions: Reduction of low-frequency noise due to large scale mixing and potential core shortening, and increased high-frequency noise due to increased near-field turbulence.