Numerical study of flow asymmetry and self-sustained jet oscillations in geometrically symmetric cavities

In this paper we present the results of numerical investigation of self-sustained oscillations of a jet confined in a symmetric cavity. This work represents an attempt to reproduce empirical observations of asymmetric flows in geometrically symmetric systems and to extend the jet flow investigations to more complex possible scenarios. A well-known example of such two-dimensional flow has been reported experimentally and reproduced numerically for simple flow [E. Schreck, M. Schaefer, Numerical study or bifurcation in three-dimensional sudden channel expansions, Comput. Fluids 29 (2000) 583–593]. It has been found that for some particular control parameter, above its critical value (bifurcation point), the jet can be deflected to either of the two sides of the cavity. In this paper we report a similar behaviour which is, however, characterized by a more complicated flow pattern. While simple flow appears only within small cavity lengths the complex flows develops with increased cavity lengths. Unlike stationary asymmetric solutions accompanied by cavity jet oscillations, as experimentally reported in e.g., [A. Maurel, P. Ern, B.J.A. Zielinska, J.E. Wesfreid, Experimental study of self-sustained oscillations in a confined jet, Phys Rev. E 54 (1996) 3643–3651], in our investigations of both simple and complex asymmetric flow we observed the slow periodical drift of the jet from one to another side of the cavity. The essential control parameters were Reynolds number Re and the ratio length to inlet width L/d. According to experiments of Maurel et al. (1996), the jet is stable and symmetric, when both L/d and Re are below certain critical values, otherwise jet oscillations appear in both experiment and our simulation (cavity oscillations regime). However, further increase of either (or both) L/d and Re leads of so called free jet type oscillations regime. This paper describes complex jet behaviour within the later oscillations regime. We believe that both simple “classical” and “our” complex stationary asymmetric solutions (as well as superimposed cavity-type and free-jet oscillations) can be explained based on physical arguments as already done in previous works. However, the origin of slow drift motion remains still to be resolved. This might be of high importance for clear distinguishing between relevant physical and numerical features in future codes developments.