Tobias Rossmann

The surface boundary through which a sonic jet in supersonic cross flow is injected is shown to have a significant effect on the size, penetration, and mixing characteristics of the jet plume. A circular, high-pressure, sonic jet is injected into a M = 3.4 supersonic crossflow through a well-characterized turbulent boundary layer of two different thicknesses (δ/d = 0.6 and 6.1), with variable momentum ratios (J = 1.2, 2.6, and 5). Planar laser Mie scattering of condensed ethanol droplets is used to quantitatively image the injected fluid concentration in both side and end-views at multiple downstream locations. Jet penetration, plume area, and characteristic size and location of regions of intense mixing are compared. The jets injected through the thicker boundary layer are shown to have significantly enhanced jet penetration (∼50%), spread (∼100%), and mixing intensity (∼100%, especially in the near-field) over a wider area of the jet plume. Additionally, characterization of mixing is examined using the variance in the concentration field as well as probability density functions of concentration determined along contours of constant jet fluid concentration. From these results, the jet injections associated with the thicker boundary layer transition from shear dominated mixing zones on the windward side to more distributed mixing zones throughout the plume at earlier downstream locations and show influence of interactions between boundary layer vorticity and vortical structures within the jet leading to larger lateral expansion.

A data assimilation approach is developed for evaluation of fluid-thermal systems wherein a complete specification of the boundary conditions is not known a priori and experimental diagnostics are restricted to a limited region of the flowfield. The methodology is applied to the configuration of a heated jet injected into a laminar boundary layer where the jet temperature and velocity are unknowns. The closed loop method selects the initial locations for the experimental measurements of mean temperature within the flowfield using diode laser absorbance. Diode laser absorption measurements near 761 nm of molecular oxygen are recorded to characterize the time varying temperature of the two dimensional jet. The Response Surface Models built using two-dimensional unsteady Navier–Stokes simulations are used to predict the jet exit temperature and velocity, and select the second set of locations for the experimental measurements. The two sets of experimental data are used to generate the final prediction for the jet exit temperature and velocity. The jet exit velocity is correctly predicted to within the experimental uncertainty; however, the jet exit temperature is over-estimated by 9% to 23%.

This project investigated the inclusion of a music laboratory experience within the existing core Mechanical Engineering curriculum at Lafayette College. Music is a natural addition to engineering curricula as it can easily be used to illustrate many different engineering concepts. This allows students to think about their engineering topics from a different perspective, which helps to improve their understanding of these concepts. Additionally, by using music as a teaching tool, students are also exposed to topics from the art of music. Students completed a survey both before and after the experience in order to reflect on their learning. On average, the students reported a 30.5% and 39.9% increase in their understanding of engineering and musical concepts, respectively.