Computational investigation of aero-optical discrepancies in a free shear layer

Shear layers are an important fundamental fluid flow with applications that include propulsion, aero-optical systems, environmental mixing and others. Recent studies of weakly compressible shear layers have revealed discrepancies between experimental optical measurements and results derived from computational fluid dynamics simulations. This work leverages advanced hybrid turbulence modeling to simulate the flow field of a free shear layer. The simulation results are compared with experimental results to examine the impact of steep density gradients on optical measurements. By investigating these discrepancies, this study seeks to improve the understanding of the aero-optical effects of compressible shear layers and improve predictive capabilities for optical systems.