Characterization and reduction of flow separation in jet pumps for laminar oscillatory flows

What is it about?

In thermoacoustic engines some unwated streaming effects can occur. This streaming causes direct heat losses from the hot heat exchanger to the cold heat exchanger, and therefore reduces the efficiency of the engine. A jet pump, which is sort of a diffuser, is a way to counteract this streaming by deliberately producing a pressure drop in the engine. Since there is an oscillating (thermoacoustic) flow, the characteristics of the flow inside the jet pump are different then if there were a steady flow. This work focuses on the flow separation that happens inside these jet pumps for oscillating flows, and subsequently uses this knowledge to improve the designs in order to reduce the flow separation.

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Why is it important?

This work gives both a direct solution to the flow separation in jet pumps, but also provides a more general characterization on flow separation in oscillating flows, which can also be used in different fields of work.