Calculation of Single and Multiple Low Reynolds Number Free Jets with a Lattice-Boltzmann Method

Numerical calculations of low-Reynolds-number freejets with a Lattice Boltzmann Method are presented. The calculated-time-averaged axial velocity of a round jet with Re=1030 matches experimental data, including the length of transition from laminar to turbulent flow. Special care was needed for the inlet conditions in order to reproduce the vena contracta phenomenon. The results for round jets with Re=1000/1500/2000 show good agreement with Finite Difference Method calculations from the literature. In principle, there is a strong sensitivity to the inlet conditions, suggesting a need in future experimental work to measure in detail the velocity profiles and turbulence quantities at the nozzle outlet. The application of turbulence at the inflow boundary of the calculation domain is often used to emulate sources of disturbances in experiments. The present study demonstrates the need to investigate the impact of turbulence level and length scale at inlet independent of each other. Finally, the calculation for a bundle of nine jets with a square inlet led to the finding that the velocity decay of the central jet is maximal when the spacing between the jets is ca. one jet diameter.