Subsonic jet noise source location as a function of nozzle exit boundary layer

Over the years, there have been numerous studies on determining subsonic jet noise source locations, typically plotted as Strouhal number as a function of distance from the nozzle exit. A comparison of the results of various studies yields a spread of about two nozzle diameters in measured source location. This work examines how boundary layer thickness, which can vary from nozzle to nozzle, could be the cause of observed differences in different studies in subsonic jet noise source location. Source location measurements of unheated jets from ASME nozzles, which have comparably thinner nozzle exit boundary layers, and conical nozzles, which have comparably thicker nozzle exit boundary layers, are compared. These results are substantiated with the use of schlieren flow visualization and velocity profile measurements. It is found that the nozzles with thinner nozzle exit boundary layers have noise source distributions that are 0.25–2 diameters upstream of those with thicker nozzle exit boundary layers. Thinner nozzle exit boundary layers result in higher growth rates of instability waves, increasing mixing and thereby moving noise sources upstream.