Visualization of jet mixing in a fluidic oscillator

The fluidic oscillator is a device that generates an oscillating jet when supplied with fluid at pressure. The oscillator has no moving parts - the creation of the unsteady jet is based solely on fluid-dynamic interactions. Fluidic oscillators can operate at frequencies ranging up to 20 kHz, and are useful for flow control applications. The fluidic oscillator evaluated in the current study is comprised of two fluid jets that interact in an internal mixing chamber, producing the oscillating jet at the exit. Both porous pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) and dye-colored water flow are used to visualize the internal and external fluid dynamics of the oscillator. Porous PSP formulations have been shown to have frequency responses on the order of 100 kHz, which is more than adequate for visualizing the fluidic oscillations. In order to provide high-contrast PSP data in these tests, one of the internal jets of the fluidic oscillator is supplied with oxygen, and the other with nitrogen. Results indicate that two counter-rotating vortices within the mixing chamber drive the oscillations. It is also shown that the fluidic oscillator possesses excellent mixing characteristics.