Vortex formation of a finite-span synthetic jet: effect of rectangular orifice geometry

The formation and evolution of flow structures of a finite-span synthetic jet issuing into a quiescent flow were investigated experimentally using stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (SPIV). The effect of two geometrical parameters, the orifice aspect ratio and the neck length, were explored at a Strouhal number of 0.115 and a Reynolds number of 615. Normalized orifice neck lengths of 2, 4 and 6 and aspect ratios of 6, 12, and 18 were examined. It was found that the effect of the aspect ratio is much larger than the effect of the neck length, and as the aspect ratio increases the size of the edge vortices decreases and the presence of secondary structures is more evident. Moreover, axis switching was observed and its streamwise location increases as the aspect ratio increases. The effect of the neck length on the flow structures and the evolution of the synthetic jet was found to be secondary, where the effect was only in the very near field (i.e. close to the jet's orifice).