Prediction of the flow structure in a turbulent rectangular free jet

A numerical analysis is conducted for turbulent flow of a rectangular free jet with an aspect ratio of 2:1. The computations were performed using two standard two-equation turbulence models (the k–ε and the k–ω models). Two inflow boundary conditions were evaluated with each model: a uniform inlet velocity profile and a profiled inlet velocity fitted to experimental data. The results show that the k–ε model with the profiled inlet velocity succeeded in predicting the main features of the flow, including the vena contracta and the saddle-shaped velocity profiles in the near-field region, and the rate of velocity decay in the far-field region.