Multiple interacting jets (confluent jets) are employed in many engineering applications, and the significant design factors must be investigated. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to numerically predict the flow field in the proximal region of a single row of round jets. The numerical results that are obtained when using the low Reynolds k-∈ are validated with the experimental data that are acquired by particle image velocimetry (PIV). PIV was used to measure mean velocity and turbulence properties in the proximal region of a row of six parallel coplanar round air jets with equidistant spacing at low Reynolds number (Re = 3290). The low Reynolds k-∈ underpredicts the streamwise velocity in the onset of the jets' decay. The characteristic points are determined for various regions between two neighboring jets. The comparison of the merging point (MP) and the combined point (CP) computed from measurements and simulations shows good agreement in the different regions between the jets. In this study, a computational parametric study is also conducted to determine the main effects of three design factors and the interactions between them on the flow field development using response surface method (RSM). The influences of the inlet velocity, the spacing between the nozzles, and the diameter of the nozzles on the locations of the characteristic points are presented in the form of correlations (regression equations). CFD is used to numerically predict the characteristic points for a set of required studies, for which the design values of the simulation cases are determined by the Box-Behnken method. The results indicate that the spacing between the nozzles has a major impact on the flow characteristics in the near-field region of multiple interacting jets. The RSM shows that the inlet velocity has a marginal effect on the merging and CPs. All of the square terms are removed from the response equations of MP, and only one two-way interaction term between inlet velocity and spacing remains in the regression model with a marginal effect. The square of the nozzle diameter contributes in the regression equations of CP in some regions between the jets.

This thesis deals with the near-field of confluent jets, which can be of interest in many engineering applications such as design of a ventilation supply device. The physical effect of interaction between multiple closely spaced jets is studied using experimental and numerical methods. The primary aim of this study is to explore a better understanding of flow and turbulence behavior of multiple interacting jets. The main goal is to gain an insight into the confluence of jets occurring in the near-field of multiple interacting jets.

The array of multiple interacting jets is studied when they are placed on a flat and a curved surface. To obtain the boundary conditions at the nozzle exits of the confluent jets on a curved surface, the results of numerical prediction of a cylindrical air supply device using two turbulence models (realizable −  and Reynolds stress model) are validated with hot-wire anemometry (HWA) near different nozzles discharge in the array. A single round jet is then studied to find the appropriate turbulence models for the prediction of the three-dimensional flow field and to gain an understanding of the effect of the boundary conditions predicted at the nozzle inlet. In comparison with HWA measurements, the turbulence models with low Reynolds correction ( −  and shear stress transport [SST]  − ) give reasonable flow predictions for the single round jet with the prescribed inlet boundary conditions, while the transition models (−  −  and transition SST − ) are unable to predict the flow in the turbulent region. The results of numerical prediction (low Reynolds SST − model) using the prescribed inlet boundary conditions agree well with the HWA measurement in the nearfield of confluent jets on a curved surface, except in the merging region.

Instantaneous velocity measurements are performed by laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) and particle image velocimetry (PIV) in two different configurations, a single row of parallel coplanar jets and an inline array of jets on a flat surface. The results of LDA and PIV are compared, which exhibit good agreement except near the nozzle exits.

The streamwise velocity profile of the jets in the initial region shows a saddle back shape with attenuated turbulence in the core region and two off-centered narrow peaks. When confluent jets issue from an array of closely spaced nozzles, they may converge, merge, and combine after a certain distance downstream of the nozzle edge. The deflection plays a salient role for the multiple interacting jets (except in the single row configuration), where all the jets are converged towards the center of the array. The jet position, such as central, side and corner jets, significantly influences the development features of the jets, such as velocity decay and lateral displacement. The flow field of confluent jets exhibits asymmetrical distributions of Reynolds stresses around the axis of the jets and highly anisotropic turbulence. The velocity decays slower in the combined regio  of confluent jets than a single jet. Using the response surface methodology, the correlations between characteristic points (merging and combined points) and the statistically significant terms of the three design factors (inlet velocity, spacing between the nozzles and diameter of the nozzles) are determined for the single row of coplanar parallel jets. The computational parametric study of the single row configuration shows that spacing has the greatest impact on the near-field characteristics.

Conventional ventilation systems (mixing and displacement) produce low air quality in industrial premises. A new air supply system (confluent jets system) may improve the ventilation efficiency and the energy efficiency. When round jets issue from co-planar nozzles with enough spacing, they converge, merge, and combine at certain downstream distances, which are called confluent jets. In order to numerically predict confluent jets, it is crucial to provide inlet boundary conditions for these jets at the nozzles' exit. Numerical prediction of inlet boundary conditions of confluent jets was chosen due to two reasons: the difficulty of measurement at the nozzles' exit, and lack of information about the shape of the employed nozzles to make artificial inlet profiles. Numerical predictions by two turbulence models (Realizable k - ε and RSM) of the supply device producing the confluent jets was verified by hot-wire measurements at 0.26 d0 downstream of the nozzles' exit in both lateral and vertical direction. The verification was carried out for different nozzles in an array by measuring axial velocity and its turbulence intensity. The axial velocity profile at the nozzles exit has a saddle-back shape with two distinct off-centered overshoots. The convergence of the velocity profile shows the existence of Vena contracta phenomena. Low turbulence intensity at the central part of nozzles was found with narrow shear layer upstream of confluent jet flow. Differences of velocity components, turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), and turbulent dissipation rate (TDR) of the studied contraction nozzle were examined with a flow issuing from a typical long pipe. Reynolds number dependency in the studied range has been carried out and Re effects were observed on TKE but not on TDR. 

Conventional ventilation systems (mixing and displacement) produce low air quality in industrial premises. A new air supply system (confluent jet system) may improve both ventilation and energy efficiency. When round jets are issued from coplanar nozzles with enough spacing, they converge, merge, and combine at a certain downstream distance, which are called "confluent jets." In this study, the velocity field of the proximal region of confluent jets was recorded by traversing a hot-wire probe across the jets in one column at selected distances from the nozzles' exit in order to examine the performance of SST k - ω turbulence model. The experimental and numerical results from this work are summarized in a set of mapping fields of mean velocity for the confluent jet zones, which are presented in a generalized non-dimensional form. The existence of an initial, a converging, a merging, and a combined region in the confluent jets has been found for three low Reynolds numbers. Three different confluent jets can be seen in the array of jets studied placed six by six symmetrically on the long side of a cylindrical supply device. The streamwise velocity of the geometrical centerline of side jets and corner jets decays faster than that for the fully confluent jets, due to deflection towards their adjacent neighboring jets. Side jets and corner jets deflect to their adjacent jets and finally merge and combine with them, while fully confluent jets normally spread and amalgamate with each other. Low local pressure is responsible for the amalgamation of confluent jets, but the static pressure reaches a minimum value between side jets and their neighboring jets, which results in the deflection of the side jets.

In order to study the flow behavior of multiple jets, numerical prediction of the three-dimensional domain of round jets from the nozzle edge up to the turbulent region is essential. The previous numerical studies on the round jet are limited to either two-dimensional investigation with Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) models or three-dimensional prediction with higher turbulence models such as large eddy simulation (LES) or direct numerical simulation (DNS). The present study tries to evaluate different RANS turbulence models in the three-dimensional simulation of the whole domain of an isothermal, low Re (Re = 2125, 3461, and 4555), free, turbulent round jet. For this evaluation the simulation results from two two-equation (low Re k-ε and low Re shear stress transport (SST) k-ω), a transition three-equation (k-kl-ω), and a transition four-equation (SST) eddy-viscosity turbulence models are compared with hot-wire anemometry measurements. Due to the importance of providing correct inlet boundary conditions, the inlet velocity profile, the turbulent kinetic energy (k), and its specific dissipation rate (ω) at the nozzle exit have been employed from an earlier verified numerical simulation. Two-equation RANS models with low Reynolds correction can predict the whole domain (initial, transition, and fully developed regions) of the round jet with prescribed inlet boundary conditions. The transition models could only reach to a good agreement with the measured mean axial velocities and its rms in the initial region. It worth mentioning that the round jet anomaly is still present in the turbulent region of the round jet predicted by the low Re k-ε. By comparing the k and the ω predicted by different turbulence models, the blending functions in the cross-diffusion term is found one of the reasons behind the more consistent prediction by the low Re SST k-ω. 

This article reports on an experimental investigation of the near-field behavior of interacting jets at low Reynolds numbers (Re = 2125, 3290 and 4555). Two measurement techniques, particle image velocimetry (PIV) and laser Doppler anemometry (LDA), were employed to measure mean velocity and turbulence statistics in the near field of a row of six parallel coplanar round jets with equidistant spacing. The overall results from PIV and LDA measurements show good agreement, although LDA enabled more accurate measurements in the thin shear layers very close to the nozzle exit. The evolution of all six coplanar jets showed initial, merging, and combined regions. While the length of the potential core and the maximum velocity in the merging region are Reynolds number-dependent, the location of the merging points and the minimum velocity between jets were found to be independent of Reynolds number. Side jets at the edges of the coplanar row showed a constant decay rate of maximum velocity after their core region, which is comparable to a single round jet. Jets closer to the center of the row showed reducing velocity decay in the merging region, which led to a higher maximum velocity compared to a single round jet. A comparison with the flow for an in-line array of 6 x 6 round jets showed that the inward bending of streamwise velocity, which exists in the near field of the 6 x 6 jet array, does not occur in the single row of coplanar jets, although both setups have identical nozzle shape, spacing, and Reynolds number.

This article presents results of an experimental study of the confluence of low Reynolds number jets in the near field of a 6 x 6 in-line array of round nozzles. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) were employed to measure mean velocities and turbulence statistics. The comparison of the results from PIV and LDA measurements along different cross-sectional profiles and geometrical centerlines showed good agreement. However, LDA enabled more accurate results very close to the nozzle exits. The evolution of all the individual jets in the array into a single jet showed flow regions similar to twin jets (i.e., initial, converging including mixing transition, merging and combined regions). The lateral displacements play an important role for a confluent jet, where all jets to some degree are deflected towards the center of the nozzle plate. The jet development in terms of velocity decay, length of potential core and lateral displacement varies significantly with the position of the jet in the array. A comparison with single jet and twin jets flow showed considerable differences in velocity decay as well as location and velocity in the combined point. The flow field of confluent jets showed asymmetrical distributions of Reynolds stresses around the axis of the jets and highly anisotropic turbulence. Additionally, the lateral displacement as well as the turbulence development in the proximal region of the studied confluent jet was shown to be dependent on Reynolds number. 

The general aim of this research is contributed to the energy performance assessment of single storey multiple-skin facade. To cover this aim; multiple skin facade are studied by means of experiments and numerical simulation. In this research a numerical model for multiple-skin facades with mechanical and natural ventilation has been developed. The numerical model is two-dimensional and based on a cell centered volume method (CVM). As an improvement, radiation and convection are treated separately and by this means an innovative method is applied to calculate the view factors and heat transfer coefficients between surfaces and each cavity. Then the developed numerical model is validated using measurements from the vliet test building. However, there is no multiple-skin facade application in Tehran. Thus the model is used to assess the influence of different multiple-skin facade parameters in Tehran's climate conditions to show its effect on heat losses if this technology would be applied. As a consequence of the diversity of results, designer should be aware that multiple-skin facades do not necessarily improve the energy efficiency of their designs. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Three-dimensional simulation of the whole domain (initial, transition and fully developed regions) of round jet is essential in order to predict and to study the flow behavior of multiple jets (e.g. confluent jets). According to authors knowledge, numerical prediction of round jet with RANS models that has been presented by other researchers, are only in two-dimensional (axisymmetric) and mostly for the fully developed region. The inlet boundary conditions,  inlet velocity profile, turbulent kinetic energy and its dissipation rate at the diffuser exit has been governed from an earlier verified numerical simulation. In the present paper, results of three-dimensional modeling of isothermal, free, turbulent round jet with two two-equation (Low Re  and SST ), a transition three-equation ( ) and a transition four-equation (SST) eddy-viscosity turbulence models with resolved inlet profiles are compared and validated with hot-wire anemometry. This study shows that numerical simulation of round jet with SST  gives good agreement with measured mean longitudinal velocities, while transition models could only predict the initial region of round jet.

The results of this investigation revealed the airflow distribution from a new design of supply diffuser under non-isothermal conditions. To illustrate the indoor climate parameters in the occupied zone, for both the heating and cooling seasons, an experimental investigation was carried out in industrial premises. The indoor climate was explored at ankle, waist and neck levels for a standing person at different positions, to determine the variation of the thermal comfort indexes and draught rating (DR) with position in the facility. The observed PPD and DR values indicate acceptable levels of thermal comfort in the facility for both summer and winter cases. The conclusion can be drawn that well-distributed airflow saves energy by removing the need for an additional heating and cooling systems during cold and hot weather seasons.