Steady Laminar Axisymmetrical Nozzle Flow at Moderate Reynolds Numbers: Modeling and Experiment

Abstract

Flow through an axisymmetrical parameterized contraction nozzle of limited size with area contraction ratio 21.8 and total length 6 cm is studied for moderate Reynolds numbers 300 < Re < 20,200. The transverse flow profiles at the nozzle exit are characterized by hot film anemometry for two different spatial step sizes. The flow at the exit is laminar and uniform in its core. Boundary layer characteristics at the nozzle exit are estimated from the transverse velocity profiles. Flow throughout the nozzle is modeled by implementing Thwaites laminar axisymmetrical boundary layer solutions in an iterative algorithm for which both universal functions, describing the shape factor and skin friction parameters respectively, are altered by adding a constant. The value of the constants is determined by fitting the modified universal functions to tabulated values reported in Blevins (Blevins, R., 1992, Applied Fluid Dynamics Handbook. Krieger, Malabar, FL.). The model is validated on the measured data. Adding nonzero constants to the universal functions improves the prediction of boundary layer characteristics so that the range of Reynolds numbers for which the discrepancy with experimental findings is less than 4% is extended from Re > 3000 to Re > 1000. Therefore, the studied contraction nozzle is of use for applications requiring a small nozzle with known low turbulence flow at the exit such as moderate Reynolds number free jet studies or bio fluid mechanics (respiration, speech production,…) and the flow at the exit of the nozzle can be accurately described by a simple boundary layer algorithm for Re > 1000.