This research project examines supersonic jets from nozzles representative of the practical variable-geometry convergent-divergent nozzles used on high-performance military aircraft. The nozzles employed have conical convergent sections, sharp throats and conical divergent sections. Nozzles with design Mach numbers of 1.3, 1.5, 1.56 and 1.65 are tested and the flow and acoustics examined. Such nozzles are found to produce a double-diamond shock structure consisting of two overlapping sets of shock cells, one cast from the nozzle lip and one cast from the nozzle throat. These nozzles are found to produce no shock-free condition at or near the design condition. As a result they produce shock-associated noise at all supersonic conditions. The shock cell spacing, broad-band shock-associated noise peak frequency and screech frequency all match those of more traditional nearly isentropic convergent-divergent nozzles.
A correlation is proposed which improves upon the Prandtl-Pack relation for shock cell spacing in that it accounts for differences in nozzle design Mach number which the Prandtl-Pack relation does not. This proposed relation reverts to the Prandtl-Pack equation for the case of a design Mach number of 1.0.
Chevrons are applied to the nozzles with design Mach numbers of 1.5 and 1.56. The effective penetration of the chevrons is found to be a function of the jet Mach number. Increasing jet Mach number increases effective penetration of the chevrons and increases the magnitude of all chevron effects. Chevrons on supersonic jets are found to reduce shock cell length, increase mixing and spreading, decrease turbulent kinetic energy at the end of the potential core and increase it near the nozzle. Chevrons corrugate the shear layer but not the shock structures inside the jet which remain axisymmetric. Chevrons thicken the shear layer, reducing the sonic diameter and reducing the diameter of the shock cells. By reducing their diameter they also reduce the shock cell spacing. Chevrons reduce low-frequency mixing noise near the end of the potential core, increase high-frequency noise near the nozzle exit. They eliminate screech and reduce broad-band shock-associated noise and shift it to higher frequencies.
Fluidic injection is applied to the nozzle with design Mach number of 1.5. Fluidic injection corrugates the shear layer, increases mixing and spreading, reduces low frequency mixing noise, increases high frequency noise, reduces broad-band shock-associated noise and shifts its peak to higher frequency.