Showing papers in "Experiments in Fluids in 2004"

Wake structure of a finite circular cylinder of small aspect ratio

Abstract: The wake of a finite circular cylinder of small aspect ratio was studied with a seven-hole probe and thermal anemometry. The cylinder was mounted normal to a ground plane and was partially immersed in a turbulent boundary layer. The time-averaged velocity and streamwise vorticity fields showed the development of the tip vortex structures, the extent of the near-wake recirculation zone, the downwash phenomenon and base vortex structures within the boundary layer. The wake structure and power spectra were similar for cylinder aspect ratios of 5 to 9, but a distinctly different behaviour was observed for an aspect ratio of 3.

Density measurements using the Background Oriented Schlieren technique

Abstract: This paper describes the implementation of a novel technique called Background Oriented Schlieren that can produce quantitative visualization of density in a flow. This technique uses only a digital still camera, a structured background, and inverse tomographic algorithms which can extract two-dimensional slices from a three-dimen- sional flow. This has been applied to obtain the density field for an axisymmetric supersonic flow over a cone- cylinder model. Comparisons with cone tables show excellent agreement. List of symbols b wave angle h viewing angle q density (kg/m 3 ) k wavelength (m) e angle of deflection D diameter of cylinder f focal length of imaging lens G(k) Gladstone-Dale number j ffiffiffiffiffiffi 1 p

Transition from laminar to turbulent flow in liquid filled microtubes

Abstract: The transition to turbulent flow is studied for liquids of different polarities in glass microtubes having diameters between 50 and 247 µm. The onset of transition occurs at Reynolds numbers of ~1,800–2,000, as indicated by greater-than-laminar pressure drop and micro-PIV measurements of mean velocity and rms velocity fluctuations at the centerline. Transition at anomalously low values of Reynolds number was never observed. Additionally, the results of more than 1,500 measurements of pressure drop versus flow rate confirm the macroscopic Poiseuille flow result for laminar flow resistance to within −1% systematic and ±2.5% rms random error for Reynolds numbers less than 1,800.

Development and characterization of plasma actuators for high-speed jet control

Abstract: Active control of high Reynolds number and high-speed jets has been hampered due to the lack of suitable actuators. Some of the attributes that would make an actuator suitable for such flows are: high amplitude and bandwidth; small size for distribution around the jet; phase-locking ability for jet azimuthal mode forcing; and sufficient ruggedness for hot jets. We have been developing a class of actuators termed ‘localized arc filament plasma actuators,’ which possess such characteristics. In this paper, we present the development and characterization of these actuators as well as preliminary results on their applications in high Reynolds number Mach 0.9 and ideally expanded Mach 1.3 jets.

The role of time in single drop splash on thin film

Abstract: This paper reports on an experimental study of the impact of water drops on thin liquid films. The morphology of the impact was studied by still photography, and quantitative results were obtained by a proper image analysis technique. The time evolution of various parameters like the crown diameter, the crown height, and the secondary drop diameters are reported, and these experimental parameters are correlated and compared to available theoretical models. A particular set-up of the acquisition system allowed us to photograph the splash from below the solid wall, allowing the first estimation of the crown thickness and the total number of jets protruding from the crown rim as a function of time. The results indicate that, for the range of the parameters investigated, there is not a strong dependence on the film thickness. The evolution of the crown height depends on the impact Weber number, whereas its growing velocity and the crown thickness evolution are almost independent of Weber number.

Strouhal numbers in the wake of two inline cylinders

Abstract: The dominant vortex frequencies f s in the wake of two tandem circular cylinders of identical diameter d have been measured simultaneously using two hot wires placed behind each cylinder. Measurements were conducted over the Reynolds number Re (≡U ∞ d/ν, where U ∞ and ν are the free-stream velocity and the kinematic viscosity of fluid, respectively) =800–4.2×104 and the cylinder centre-to-centre spacing L/d=1–15. The Strouhal number St (≡f s d/U ∞) exhibits a strong dependence on L/d and Re. For L/d (L/d)c, co-shedding occurs, that is, vortices are shed from the upstream as well as the downstream cylinder, and their frequencies are found to be identical. St climbs with increasing L/d, approaching a constant between 0.18 and 0.22 for L/d>10. The St–Re relationship is classified into four categories, based on their behaviours, which are associated with distinct flow physics—category 1: for 1≤L/d 5 is characterized by co-shedding only. The present measurements reconfirm the previous observation of a bi-stable flow at the transition from the reattachment to co-shedding regime. It is found for the first time that another bi-stable flow occurs at the transition from category 1 to 2, that is, the stable reattachment co-exists with the stable rollup (behind the downstream cylinder) of shear layers separating from the upstream cylinder, resulting in two distinct vortex-shedding frequencies even at the same Re and L/d. The St behaviour is further discussed along with flow visualization using the laser-induced fluorescence technique.

The influence of peak-locking errors on turbulence statistics computed from PIV ensembles

Abstract: The influence of peak-locking errors on turbulence statistics computed from ensembles of PIV data is considered. PIV measurements are made in the streamwise–wall-normal plane of turbulent channel flow. The PIV images are interrogated in three distinct ways, generating ensembles of velocity fields with absolute, moderate, and minimal peak locking. Turbulence statistics computed for all three ensembles of data indicate a general sensitivity to peak locking in the single-point statistics, except for the mean velocity profile. Peak-locking errors propagate into the fluctuations of velocity, rendering single-point statistics inaccurate when severe peak locking is present. Multi-point correlations of both streamwise and wall-normal velocity are also found to be influenced by severe levels of peak locking. The displacement range of the measurement, defined by the PIV time delay, appears to affect the influence of peak-locking errors on turbulence statistics. Smaller displacement ranges, particularly those that produce displacement fluctuations that are less than one pixel in magnitude, yield inaccurate turbulence statistics in the presence of peak locking.

Development and validation of echo PIV

Abstract: The combination of ultrasound echo images with digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) methods has resulted in a two-dimensional, two-component velocity field measurement technique appropriate for opaque flow conditions including blood flow in clinical applications. Advanced PIV processing algorithms including an iterative scheme and window offsetting were used to increase the spatial resolution of the velocity measurement to a maximum of 1.8 mm×3.1 mm. Velocity validation tests in fully developed laminar pipe flow showed good agreement with both optical PIV measurements and the expected parabolic profile. A dynamic range of 1 to 60 cm/s has been obtained to date.

Investigations on controlled transition development in a laminar separation bubble by means of LDA and PIV

Abstract: When a laminar boundary layer separates be- cause of an adverse streamwise pressure gradient, the flow is subject to increased instability with respect to small- amplitude disturbances. Laminar-turbulent transition oc- curs under a rapid three-dimensional (3D) development within the separated shear layer. When the following tur- bulent boundary layer reattaches, a laminar separation bubble is formed. To allow controlled measurements, a small-amplitude Tollmien-Schlichting wave (TS wave) was introduced into the boundary layer without (case I) and with (case II) spanwise forcing of steady 3D disturbances. Combined application of laser-Doppler anemometry (LDA) and particle image velocimetry (PIV) demonstrates the suitability of both measurement techniques to capture the development of unsteady, periodic phenomena. The transition mechanism occurring in the flow field under consideration is discussed, and results obtained by con- trolled measurements are compared to direct numerical simulations (DNS) and predictions from linear stability theory (LST). Flow visualizations and stereoscopic PIV measurements give better insight into the 3D breakdown of the separated shear layer.

Single-pixel resolution ensemble correlation for micro-PIV applications

Abstract: A new correlation method for particle image velocimetry (PIV) is proposed that yields velocity data at single-pixel spatial resolution. This method is an extension of the ensemble correlation method for PIV. This ‘single-pixel ensemble correlation’ method is particularly suited for (quasi-) stationary and periodic flows, which are typically encountered in many micro-PIV applications, such as microfluidics and micro-scale biological flows. The method can yield data at the same level of precision and reliability as conventional PIV data. The main advantage of the new method is that it can resolve steep velocity gradients and obtain unbiased measurements of the velocity in the vicinity of flow boundaries (viz. walls). The performance as a function of the ensemble size is investigated by means of synthetic PIV images. Both ensemble correlation and single-pixel correlation are applied to micro-channel flow. With single-pixel ensemble correlation we obtained a spatial resolution of 300 nm. The results demonstrate that ensemble correlation over-estimates the measured channel width, whereas single-pixel correlation yields a result that is in agreement with the actual channel dimensions.

Turbulent drag reduction in dam-break flows

Abstract: The role of turbulence is investigated in dam-break flows, where a finite volume of fluid is released from a compartment into a long, rectangular channel. After a sudden removal of the lock gate, a gravity current, undular bore, or solitary wave develops, depending on the ambient fluid height in the channel. The temporal evolution of the moving front has been measured and evaluated. It was observed that the dilution using a very small amount (a few weight ppm) of a long chain polymer (polyethylene-oxide) in the fluid strongly affected flow properties. Pronounced drag reduction has been found in dry bed flows (whereas the polymer increased the viscosity of the fluid). The presence of a few mm-thick ambient fluid layer in the channel effectively destroyed drag reduction, in spite of the fact that strong turbulence was obvious and the propagation velocity of the front was almost unchanged.

Optically sliced micro-PIV using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM)

Abstract: Optically sliced microscopic-particle image velocimetry (micro-PIV) is developed using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The developed PIV system shows a unique optical slicing capability allowing true depth-wise resolved micro-PIV vector field mapping. A comparative study between CLSM micro-PIV and con- ventional epi-fluorescence micro-PIV is presented. Both techniques have been applied to the creeping Poiseuille flows in two different microtubes of 99-l m( Re=0.00275) and 516-lm ID diameters (Re=0.021), which are respec- tively imaged by a 40·-0.75NA objective with an estimated 2.8-lm optical slice thickness, and by a 10·-0.30NA objective with a 26.7-lm slicing. Compared to conventional micro-PIV, CLSM micro-PIV consistently shows signifi- cantly improved particle image contrasts, definitions, and measured flow vector fields agreeing more accurately with predictions based on the Poiseuille flow fields. The data improvement due to the optical slicing of CLSM micro-PIV is more pronounced with higher magnification imaging with higher NA objectives for a smaller microtube.

The turbulence structure of drag-reduced boundary layer flow

Abstract: The structure of turbulence in a drag-reduced flat-plate boundary layer flow has been studied with particle image velocimetry (PIV). Drag reduction was achieved by injection of a concentrated polymer solution through a spanwise slot along the test wall at a location upstream of the PIV measurement station. Planes of velocity were measured parallel to the wall (x–z plane), for a total of 30 planes across the thickness of the boundary layer. For increasing drag reduction, we found a significant modification of the near-wall structure of turbulence with a coarsening of the low-speed velocity streaks and a reduction in the number and strength of near-wall vortical structures.

Creating homogeneous and isotropic turbulence without a mean flow

Abstract: A novel method of creating homogeneous and isotropic turbulence with small mean flow has been developed. Eight synthetic jet actuators on the corners of a cubic chamber can create energetic turbulence with root-mean-square (rms) velocities as large as 0.87 m/s, corresponding to a Taylor microscale Reynolds number, Re λ , of 218. Stationary turbulence results show that the turbulence was isotropic, with the rms velocity ratio equal to 1.03, and also homogeneous within the region of interest. Natural decaying turbulence measurements confirmed the power-law decay of the turbulent kinetic energy, with the decay exponent n equal to 1.86 for an initial Re λ of 224.

Near-wall hindered Brownian diffusion of nanoparticles examined by three-dimensional ratiometric total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (3-D R-TIRFM)

Abstract: A three-dimensional nanoparticle tracking technique using ratiometric total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (R-TIRFM) is presented to experimentally examine the classic theory on the near-wall hindered Brownian diffusive motion. An evanescent wave field from the total internal reflection of a 488-nm bandwidth argon-ion laser is used to provide a thin illumination field on the order of a few hundred nanometers from the wall. Fluorescence-coated polystyrene spheres of 200±20 nm diameter (specific gravity=1.05) are used as tracers and a novel ratiometric analysis of their images allows the determination of fully three-dimensional particle locations and velocities. The experimental results show good agreement with the lateral hindrance theory, but show discrepancies from the normal hindrance theory. It is conjectured that the discrepancies can be attributed to the additional hindering effects, including electrostatic and electro-osmotic interactions between the negatively charged tracer particles and the glass surface.

Assessment and application of quantitative schlieren methods: Calibrated color schlieren and background oriented schlieren

Abstract: Two quantitative schlieren methods are assessed and compared: calibrated color schlieren (CCS) and back- ground oriented schlieren (BOS). Both methods are capable of measuring the light deflection angle in two spatial directions, and hence the projected density gradient vector field. Spatial integration using the conjugate gradient method returns the projected density field. To assess the performance of CCS and BOS, density measurements of a two-dimensional benchmark flow (a Prandtl-Meyer expansion fan) are compared with the theoretical density field and with the density inferred from PIV velocity measurements. The methods performance is also evaluated a priori from an experiment ray-tracing simu- lation. The density measurements show good agreement with theory. Moreover, CCS and BOS return comparable results with respect to each other and with respect to the PIV measurements. BOS proves to be very sensitive to displacements of the wind tunnel during the experiment and requires a correction for it, making it necessary to apply extra boundary conditions in the integration procedure. Furthermore, spatial resolution can be a limiting factor for accurate measurements using BOS. CCS suffers from relatively high noise in the density gradient measurement due to camera noise and has a smaller dynamic range when compared to BOS. Finally the application of the two schlieren methods to a separated wake flow is demonstrated. Flow features such as shear layers and expansion and recompression waves are measured with both methods. 1

Experimental investigation of impinging jet arrays

Abstract: We report on measurements of the velocity field and turbulence fluctuations in a hexagonal array of circular jets, impinging normally on a plane wall, using particle image velocimetry (PIV). Results for mean velocity and turbulent stresses are presented in various horizontal and vertical planes. From the measurements, we have identified some major features of impinging jet arrays and we discuss their mutual interaction, collision on the plate, and consequent backwash, which generate recirculating motion between the jets. The length of the jet core, the production of turbulence kinetic energy, and the model of the exhaust mechanisms for spent fluid are also discussed. The measurements indicated that the interaction between the self-induced cross flow and the wall jets resulted in the formation of a system of horseshoe-type vortices that circumscribe the outer jets of the array. The instantaneous snapshots of the velocity field reveal some interesting features of the flow dynamics, indicating a breakdown of some of the jets before reaching the plate, which may have consequences on the distribution of the instantaneous heat transfer.

Near-surface velocimetry using evanescent wave illumination

Abstract: Total internal reflection velocimetry (TIRV) is used to measure particle motion in the near-wall region of a microfluidic system. TIRV images are illuminated with the evanescent field of an incident laser pulse and contain only particles that are very close to the channel surface. Sub-micron-sized fluorescent particles suspended in water are used as seed particles and their images are analyzed with a particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) algorithm to extract information about apparent slip velocity. At relatively low shear rates (less than 2,500 s-1), a velocity proportional to the shear rate was observed. The statistical difference between velocities measured over hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces was found to be minimal. The results suggest that the slip length, if present, is less than 10 nm, but uncertainty regarding the exact character of the illumination field prevents a more accurate measurement at this time. Numerical simulations are presented to help understand the results and to provide insight into the mechanisms that result in the experimentally observed distributions. Issues associated with the accuracy of the experimental technique and the interpretations of the experimental results are also discussed.

Wavelet based eddy structure eduction from a backward facing step flow investigated using particle image velocimetry

Abstract: The eddy structures shed in a backward facing step (BFS) flow are considered in this work. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements are performed in the recirculating region located downstream of the step. These measurements are validated by comparison with data available in the literature. An automatic vortex detection algorithm is developed for the purpose of the automatic analysis of the experimental data to detect and characterize the eddy structures. This provides a database that can be further post-processed to obtain a statistical characterization of the vortices. The streamwise statistical evolution of the diameter and circulation of the cores of the detected vortices is evaluated and stored in a database. This database is used to propose an illustration of the energy contents of the detected eddy versus the core inverse size but also an ensemble average of a given class of vortices.

Reynolds number effects on a turbulent boundary layer with separation, reattachment, and recovery

Abstract: The present paper addresses experimental studies of Reynolds number effects on a turbulent boundary layer with separation, reattachment, and recovery. A momentum thickness Reynolds number varies from 1,100 to 20,100 with a wind tunnel enclosed in a pressure vessel by varying the air density and wind tunnel speed. A custom-built, high-resolution laser Doppler anemometer provides fully resolved turbulence measurements over the full Reynolds number range. The experiments show that the mean flow is at most a very weak function of Reynolds number while turbulence quantities strongly depend on Reynolds number. Roller vortices are generated in the separated shear layer caused by the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability. Empirical Reynolds number scalings for the mean velocity and Reynolds stresses are proposed for the upstream boundary layer, the separated region, and the recovery region. The inflectional instability plays a critical role in the scaling in the separated region. The near-wall flow recovers quickly downstream of reattachment even if the outer layer is far from an equilibrium state. As a result, a stress equilibrium layer where a flat-plate boundary layer scaling is valid develops in the recovery region and grows outward moving downstream.

Computer-aided calibration of X-probes using a look-up table

Abstract: A simple method for the computer-aided calibration of an X-probe is described. This method requires the X-probe to be pitched in the free-stream at several velocities. From the corresponding output voltages, a calibration look-up table can be generated. The technique requires fewer assumptions than traditional methods based on King's law.

Active control of an axisymmetric jet with distributed electromagnetic flap actuators

Abstract: Miniature electromagnetic flap actuators are developed and mounted on the periphery of the nozzle exit of an axisymmetric jet to induce various flow modes and enhance mixing processes. It is demonstrated that the flap actuators can significantly modify the large-scale vortical structures. In particular, when the flaps are driven in anti-phase on either side of the jet, alternately inclined and bent vortex rings are generated, and the jet bifurcates into two branches. Since the vortex rings are formed at the very vicinity of the nozzle exit, the bifurcation is accomplished as close as x/D=3.

Selective control of flow coherence in triangular jets

Abstract: The triangular jet was investigated for use as a passive device to enhance fine-scale mixing and to reduce the coherence of large-scale structures in the flow. The suppression of the structures is vital to the enhancement of molecular mixing, which is important for efficient chemical reactions including combustion. The sharp corners in the jet injector introduced high instability modes into the flow via the non-symmetric mean velocity and pressure distribution around the nozzle. Both aerodynamic and hydrodynamic flows showed the difference between the flow at the corner (vertex) and at the flat side. While highly coherent structures could be generated at the flat side, the corner flow was dominated by highly turbulent small-scale eddies. The flow characteristics were tested using hotwire anemometry for mean flow and turbulence analysis, and flow visualization in air and water.

Measurement of temperature field of a Rayleigh-Bénard convection using two-color laser-induced fluorescence

Abstract: The two-color laser-induced fluorescence tech- nique developed by Sakakibara and Adrian (1999) for the measurement of planar turbulent temperature fields in water has been refined to reduce the RMS error of the instantaneous measurement by an order of magnitude. The technique achieves higher sensitivity by employing two high-resolution 14-bit monochrome CCD cameras. Further refinement is achieved by post-processing the data using a convolution method that matches the degree of the image blurring of the two images. The method is demon- strated by application to turbulent Rayleigh-Benard con- vection wherein the random error is shown to be less than 0.17 K. List of symbols B (1/K) thermal expansion coefficient C (kg/m 3 ) dye concentration dB (m) e -1 diameter of laser beam f (m) focal length g (m/s 2 ) gravitational acceleration G point spread function

Quantitative visualization of compressible turbulent shear flows using condensate-enhanced Rayleigh scattering

Abstract: This paper describes several flow visualization experiments carried out in Mach 3 and Mach 8 turbulent shear flows. The experimental technique was based on laser scattering from particles of H2O or CO2 condensate that form in the wind tunnel nozzle expansion process. The condensate particles vaporize extremely rapidly on entering the relatively hot fluid within a turbulent structure, so that a sharp vaporization interface marks the outer edge of the rotational shear layer fluid. Calculations indicate that the observed thin interface corresponds to a particle size of 10 nm or less, which is consistent with optical measurements, and that particles of this size track the fluid motions well. Further, calculations and experiments show that the freestream concentration of condensate required for flow visualization has only a small effect on the wind tunnel pressure distribution. Statistics based on the image data were compared to corresponding results from probe measurements and agreement was obtained in statistical measures of speed, scale, and orientation of the large-scale structures in the shear layer turbulence. The condensate-enhanced Rayleigh scattering technique is judged to be a useful tool for quantitative studies of shear layer structure, particularly for identifying the instantaneous boundary layer edge and for extracting comparative information on the large-scale structures represented there.

Experimental investigation of the flow characteristics within a shallow wall cavity for both laminar and turbulent upstream boundary layers

Abstract: The mean and turbulent flow fields were measured upstream, within, and downstream of a non-resonating shallow wall cavity subject to low Mach number flows with both laminar and turbulent upstream boundary layers. The laminar case displayed a cavity vortex that was stronger and more localized towards the trailing edge compared to the turbulent case with the same freestream velocity. The location of the maximum Reynolds shear stress in the shear layer rises slightly above the cavity mouth near the cavity centerline for the laminar case in contrast to the turbulent case, where it remains near or slightly below the cavity mouth across the entire cavity. Downstream of the cavity, the laminar and turbulent cases converged towards a common turbulent boundary layer. The non-resonating condition of the cavity was explored through comparisons with resonance criteria from previous experimental investigations.

Two-point laser Doppler velocimetry measurements in a Mach 1.2 cold supersonic jet for statistical aeroacoustic source model

Abstract: Single and multi-point laser Doppler velocimetry measurements performed in a cold Mach 1.2 jet flow are used to assess those properties of the aerodynamic field most relevant in the generation of turbulence mixing noise. Single point measurements yield mean velocity profiles, turbulence intensity profiles and power spectral densities of both the velocity and Reynolds stress fields at seven axial stations between the jet exit and the end of the potential core. The longitudinal components of the second-order and fourth-order two-point velocity correlation tensor are obtained from a series of multi-point LDV measurements, whence a cartography of integral space and time scales, convection velocities and acoustic compactness is effected. These results are used to examine differences between subsonic and supersonic jet aerodynamics in terms of their sound generating potential. Finally analytical expressions are proposed for the spatial and temporal parts of the longitudinal correlation coefficient function. These are scaled using the integral space and time scales of the velocity and Reynolds stress fields, and excellent agreement is found with experimentally determined functions.

Effects of imaging system blur on measurements of flow scalars and scalar gradients

Abstract: Planar imaging of flow scalars is widely used in fluid mechanics, but the effects of imaging system blur on the measured scalar and its gradients are often inadequately quantified. Here, we present a 1-D analytical study that uses simplified models of the scalar profiles and imaging system blur to estimate the measurement errors caused by finite resolution. One objective of this paper is to give the experimentalist a methodology for quantitatively assessing the impact of imaging system blur on the accuracy of scalar measurements. The scalar profiles are modeled as either error or Gaussian functions, and the imaging system resolution is cast in terms of the line-spread function (LSF), which is modeled as Gaussian. The analysis gives the errors induced in the scalar structure thickness, gradient, and dissipation, for varying degrees of blur, the latter of which is quantified by σ, the standard deviation of the Gaussian LSF. The results show that, to keep errors in the peak scalar gradients and dissipation to less than 10%, the 20%-width of the scalar structures should be at least 7.5σ. Typical flow imaging experiments require fast (i.e., low f/#) optics that may suffer from significant blur and, therefore, this requirement may be difficult to meet in many applications. It is also shown that the resolution requirements for measuring the dissipation are more restrictive than for structure thicknesses. Further simulations were made to assess the effects of having clustered, or closely spaced, dissipation structures. Compared to the single structure results, there is a less severe resolution requirement to obtain scalar structure length scales, but a more severe requirement on the scalar gradient and dissipation.

Roughness effects on turbulent plane wall jets in an open channel

Abstract: This paper reports the effects of surface roughness on the mean flow characteristics for a turbulent plane wall jet created in an open channel. The velocity measurements were obtained using a laser Doppler anemometer over smooth and transitionally rough surfaces. The power law proposed by George et al. (2000) was used to determine the friction velocity. Both conventional scaling and the momentum–viscosity scaling proposed by Narasimha et al. (1973) were used to analyze the streamwise evolution of the flow. The results show that surface roughness increases the skin friction coefficient and the inner layer thickness, but the jet half-width is nearly independent of surface roughness.

Theoretical and experimental investigations of low Mach number turbulent cavity flows

Abstract: Theoretical and experimental investigations are conducted for rectangular cavities of varying sizes in low Mach number turbulent flows. Emphasis is put on the characterization of the generation of self-sustained oscillations in order to develop methods of active control applied to the aeroacoustics of cavity flows. A linearized stability analysis for low Mach number flows is proposed in which the interface of the cavity is modeled by a vorticity layer. Subsequently, the cavity flow is investigated experimentally in a subsonic wind tunnel, using pressure measurements and a phase-locked particle image velocimetry system. Experimental results indicate that the oscillation process is governed by convective waves, with no definite influence of convected vortical structures. The good agreement between the experimental data and the predictions given by the model allows the identification of the oscillations of the cavity interface via the parameters issued from the theoretical analysis.