Acoustic cavity tailored synthetic jet

1. An acoustic cavity tailored synthetic jet comprising:

a body having a cavity with a wall having a taper from a first extent to an aperture with a shape of the taper being a polynomial of at least second order thereby having a varying slope characterized by a polynomial of at least first order, the cavity having an acoustic resonant frequency;

a drive system having a piston engaged to the cavity at the first extent, said drive system and piston configured for oscillatory motion inducing a synthetic jet at the aperture, the drive system having a structural resonant frequency less than the acoustic resonant frequency and the drive system and piston configured for an uncoupled resonant frequency of one half the acoustic resonant frequency;

wherein the drive system incorporates a forcing element and a spring, said spring having stiffness reduced by a factor of 4 from a stiffness for an uncoupled resonant frequency equal to the acoustic resonance, said forcing element inducing oscillation of the piston at a frequency lower than the structural resonance for increased total momentum.

2. The acoustic cavity tailored synthetic jet as defined in claim 1 wherein the taper is characterized as producing the same uncoupled natural frequency as a cylindrical cavity with an acoustic mode shape pressure distribution having highest concentration at the piston.

3. The acoustic cavity tailored synthetic jet as defined in claim 1 wherein the shape of the taper is y=5.167x 4 -7.413x 3 +4.680x 2 -1544x+0.00422 with a Y axis parallel with a lateral axis of the cavity and an X axis perpendicular to the Y axis.

4. The acoustic cavity tailored synthetic jet as defined in claim 1 wherein the aperture comprises a slot.

5. The acoustic cavity tailored synthetic jet as defined in claim 1 wherein the aperture comprises a circular hole and the cavity is symmetrical about a normal axis to a center of the circular hole.

6. The acoustic cavity tailored synthetic jet as defined in claim wherein the varying slope increases from the extent to the aperture.

7. A method for producing a synthetic jet comprising:

configuring a body with a cavity having an acoustic resonant frequency;

configuring a drive system having a piston engaged to the cavity at a first extent, said drive system and piston configured for oscillatory motion and the drive system having a structural resonant frequency less than the acoustic resonant frequency, and the drive system and piston having an uncoupled resonant frequency of one half the acoustic resonant frequency, wherein the drive system incorporates a forcing element and a spring, said spring having stiffness reduced by a factor of 4 from a stiffness for an uncoupled resonant frequency equal to the acoustic resonance;

tailoring the cavity with a wall tapering from the first extent of the cavity proximate to the piston to an aperture, with a shape of the taper being a polynomial of at least second order and a varying slope characterized by a polynomial of at least first order; and

operating the drive system to induce oscillation of the piston at a frequency less than the structural resonance inducing a synthetic jet at the aperture with increased momentum.

8. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein varying the slope comprises progressively increasing the slope of the taper of the wall from the extent to the aperture.

9. The method as defined in claim 8 wherein varying the slope comprises varying the slope of the taper of the wall to match uncoupled natural frequency of a cylindrical cavity and adjusting the slope to provide an acoustic mode shape pressure distribution having highest concentration at the extent proximate the piston.

10. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein the step of tailoring the cavity further comprises tailoring the cavity with a wall tapering from the first extent of the cavity proximate to the piston to a slot as the aperture.

11. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein the step of tailoring the cavity further comprises tailoring the cavity with a wall tapering from the first extent of the cavity proximate to the piston to a circular aperture.

12. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein the step of tailoring the cavity further comprises tailoring the cavity with a wall tapering from the first extent of the cavity proximate to the aperture with the shape of the taper being y=5.167x 4 -7.413x 3 +4.680x 2 -1544x+0.00422 with a Y axis parallel with a lateral axis of the cavity and an X axis perpendicular to the Y axis.