This paper presents the results of experimental and numerical investigations on synthetic jet actuators with various arrangements. First, an actuator with one membrane in the cavity is a standard, reference arrangement; and second, one novel modified arrangement has two membranes in the cavity. Authors use constant temperature-anemometry measurements to identify the characteristic frequencies in which the output jet velocity reaches a maximal value, namely, the resonant frequency of the actuator (Helmholtz frequency) and of the membrane (structural resonance). A numerical model of a synthetic jet actuator has been validated using experimental data for the case with one membrane in a cavity. The simulation results confirm the existence of a toroidal vortex at the actuator exit for the frequencies determined in the experiment. Numerical results of a modified actuator with two membranes in the cavity give promising results in the context of separation control by synthetic jet devices, i.e., increase of output velocity and vorticity from the same occupied space is obtained. Numerical simulations show that in the modified actuator with two membranes in the cavity, the jet output velocity and vorticity of a created toroidal vortex at the actuator outlet can be increased by 80%, compared to the case with one membrane. The new geometry of a synthetic jet actuator with perpendicular membranes is to be implemented into the wind tunnel measurements to prove the use of a modified synthetic jet actuator as a device applicable for active flow control.

Purpose: This paper aims to present the results of experimental and numerical research on heat transfer distribution under the impinging jets at various distances from the wall and high jet velocity. This work is a part of the INNOLOT Program financed by National Centre for Research and Development.Design/methodology/approach: The air jets flow out from the common pipe and impinge on a surface which is cooled by them, and in this way, all together create a model of external cooling system of low-pressure gas turbine casing. Measurements were carried out for the arrangement of 26 in-line jets with orifice diameter of 0.9 mm. Heat transfer distribution was investigated for various Reynolds and Mach numbers. The cooled wall, made of transparent PMMA, was covered with a heater foil on which a layer of self-adhesive liquid crystal foil was placed. The jet-to-wall distance was set to h = from 4.5 to 6 d.Findings: The influence of various Reynolds and Mach numbers on cooled flat plate and jet-to-wall distance in terms of heat transfer effectiveness is presented. Experimental results used for the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model development, validation and comparison with numerical results are presented.Practical implications: Impinging air jets is a commonly used technique to cool advanced turbines elements, as it produces large convection enhancing the local heat transfer, which is a critical issue in the development of aircraft engines.Originality/value: The achieved results present experimental investigations carried out to study the heat transfer distribution between the orthogonally impinging jets from long round pipe and flat plate. Reynolds number based on the jet orifice exit conditions was varied between 2,500 and 4,000; meanwhile, for such Re, the flow velocity in jets was particularly very high, changing from M = 0.56 to M = 0.77. Such flow conditions combination, i.e. the low Reynolds number and very high flow velocity cannot be found in the existing literature.

The design of a synthetic jet requires a careful identification of the components' parameters, in order to be able to perform accurate numerical simulations, this identification must be done by mean of a series of measurements that, due to the small dimensions of the components, are required to be non-contact techniques. The activities described in this paper have been performed in the frame of the STA-DY-WI-CO project, whose purpose is the design of a synthetic jet and demonstrate its effectiveness and efficiency for a real application. To measure the energy saving, due to the synthetic jet effects on the separation, the increased performances of the profile must be compared to the energy absorbed by the actuator and the weight of the system. In design phase a series of actuators has being considered as well as a series of cavity layout, in order to obtain the most effective, efficient and durable package. The modal characteristics of piezoelectric component was assessed by means of tests performed with a 3D scanning laser vibrometer, measuring the frequency response to voltage excitation. Analyzed the effects of the parameters, and chosen components and layout, the system can be dimensioned by means of numeric simulations. The outcome of the simulation is the effect of the synthetic jet, in an assumed flow, for the selected profile. The numerical results on the field of the separated flow with recirculating area were validated by means of tests performed in an Eiffel type wind tunnel. The last test performed on the synthetic jet aims to understand the acoustic impact, noise measurements were performed to have full analysis and synthesis.