ABSTRACT
Computational modeling of synthetic jets (SJs) has played a significant role in improving our understanding of the function and performance of these devices. There are a number of features of these devices that make computational modeling a particularly effective approach for analysis; first, these devices are small, thereby making it difficult to measure flow and pressure within the device; second, these devices significantly enhance the range of the scales (both spatial and temporal) into the flow, which increase the challenge for experimental measurements. Analytical models of these devices have to contend with complex flow phenomena including unsteadiness, compressibility, flow separation,
boundary layer formation, and complex vortex dynamics. These very same features also create challenges for computational modeling, and in this chapter we summarize the key contributions as well as the challenges and limitations associated with computational flow modeling of these devices.
