Effect of flat wall length on decay and shock structure of a supersonic square wall jet

Experiments were conducted to find the effect of wall length on the decay behaviour and shock structure of a supersonic wall jet issuing from c-d nozzle of the square-shaped exit. A straight flat wall of width same as the side length of the square was attached to the lip of the nozzle such that the leading edge of the wall and the side of the square aligned properly which allowed the supersonic jet to graze past the flat wall. Experiments were conducted with five different wall lengths, that is, L-w/D-h = 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 8. Wall pressure measurements were made from leading edge to the trailing edge of the wall along its centreline. Schlieren flow visualization of the jet flow over the wall for the different wall lengths revealed the shock pattern and the effect of the wall length on the shock structure. The shock structure and jet deflection were significantly affected due to the presence of the wall. There was an upward jet deflection for L-w up to 1D(h) whereas a downward jet deflection was observed for 2D(h). Noticeable changes in the shock structure were observed for the wall lengths up to 2D(h). The wall length also significantly affected the jet decay characteristics and supersonic core length. Maximum enhancement in jet decay and maximum reduction in supersonic core length resulted when the wall length was 0.5D(h). However, when the wall length was increased to 1D(h), there was a significant reduction in jet decay and a recovery of L-sc. Presence of wall always resulted a reduction in L-sc irrespective of wall length. The wall effect was to induce a more precipitous pressure drop closer to the nozzle exit, and a more gradual drop farther from it for L-w > 2D(h).