Numerical Investigation of Nozzle Geometry Effect on Turbulent 3-D Water Offset Jet Flows

Using the Yang-Shih low Reynolds k-ε turbulence model, the mean flow field of a turbulent offset jet issuing from a long circular pipe was numerically investigated. The experimental results were used to verify the numerical results such as decay rate of streamwise velocity, locus of maximum streamwise velocity, jet half width in the wall normal and lateral directions, and jet velocity profiles. The present study focused attention on the influence of nozzle geometry on the evolution of a 3D incompressible turbulent offset jet. Circular, square-shaped, and rectangular nozzles were considered here. A comparison between the mean flow characteristics of offset jets issuing from circular and square-shaped nozzles, which had equal area and mean exit velocity, were made numerically. Moreover, the effect of aspect ratio of rectangular nozzles on the main features of the flow was investigated. It was shown that the spread rate, flow entrainment, and mixing rate of an offset jet issuing from circular nozzle are lower than square-shaped one. In addition, it was demonstrated that the aspect ratio of the rectangular nozzles only affects the mean flow field of the offset jet in the near field (up to 15 times greater than equivalent diameter of the nozzles). Furthermore, other parameters including the wall shear stress, flow entrainment and the length of potential core were also investigated.