Shock structures and instabilities formed in an underexpanded jet impinging on to cylindrical sections.

Schlieren visualisations are used to investigate the influence of cylindrical surface curvature on both the time-invariant and oscillatory behaviour of the shock structures within underexpanded jets impinging on to a surface. At moderate standoff distances $$\left( \frac{h}{d} < 5\right) $$ , the impingement surface curvature affects the temporal behaviour of the flow significantly, but with only slight variations in the time-invariant structure. A convex surface curvature constrains flapping oscillations to a single plane, the normal of which is parallel to the cylinder axis; the oscillation frequency is largely unaffected. For the standoff distances and nozzle pressure ratios studied, concave surface curvature suppresses the formation of impingement tones. A mechanism is proposed whereby entrainment of the recirculated wall jet flow alters the shear layer receptivity to acoustic disturbances, breaking the acoustic feedback loop that drives the jet oscillations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]