An experimental investigation of jet screech by air jet impingement on solid boundaries

An experimental investigation has been completed to study several methods of avoiding the jet screech phenomenon due to air jet impingement on solid boundaries. Measurements were completed in the Mach number region of M = 0.5 using a 25 mm diameter nozzle with the air jet impinging on flat, concave and convex boundaries. Sound pressure levels were recorded in the plane of the nozzle outlet at a distance of 1.46 m from the jet axis. With the air jet impinging on the flat board normal to its surface a maximum sound pressure occurred at a spacing of approximately two nozzle diameters producing a distinct screech at a sound level of 20 dB above that of the free jet. Three methods of preventing this screech were studied: (1) inserting disturbances into the shear layer at the nozzle exit; (2) changing the geometry of the boundary shape to improve the jet stability in the impingement region; and (3) introducing disturbances at the stagnation region which had the effect of displacing the distinct screech to another frequency range.