Double row vortical structures in the near field region of a plane wall jet

Abstract

The qualitative and quantitative behaviour of double row vortical structures in the near field region of a plane wall jet are studied experimentally by flow visualization and hot-wire measurements. Ensemble averaging is employed to investigate the interaction of vortices with the wall. In the flow visualization study, a double row vortical structure, which includes a primary vortex formed in the outer layer region and a secondary vortex induced in the inner layer region, and the vortex lift-off phenomenon are clearly observed during the development of the wall jet. The phase averaged results of the velocity measurements show that the instability leading to induction of the secondary vortex is stimulated by the primary vortex. In the early stage of wall jet transition, the inflection point of the inner layer velocity profile moves transversely from the wall surface to the inner layer region due to passage of the well-organized primary vortex in the outer layer region. The inner layer instability is thus induced and the instability wave rolls up to form the secondary vortex. Furthermore, the secondary vortex will convect downstream faster than the primary vortex, and this difference in convective speed will lead to the subsequent phenomenon of vortex lift-off from the wall surface.