An Overview of Synthetic Jet Under Different Clamping and Amplitude Modulation Techniques

There is generally limited guidance available on the optimum clamping method for the diaphragms used in the synthetic jet actuators (SJAs). This paper describes the effects of clamping methods (O-rings, neoprene rubber washers and metal-to-metal clamping) on the actuator diaphragm displacement using Polytec scan vibrometer (PSV). Once the clamping type was implemented, an optimization study to examine the effect of geometrical parameters for three designs of synthetic jet actuators in quiescent conditions—in particular the number of orifices per cavity, the space between them, and their effects on the jet velocity—was performed. It has also been shown that with use the Helmholtz resonance of the cavity and amplitude modulation of the excitation signal, the actuator can exhibit a more significant “blowing” velocity at a reduced power input.