Film cooling experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of coolant hole length-to-diameter ratio on the film cooling effectiveness. The results from these experiments offer an explanation for the differences between the film cooling results for cylindrical hole injection configurations previously reported by Goldstein et al. (1974), Pedersen et al. (1977), and Sinha et al. (1991). The previously reported injection configurations differed primarily in coolant hole length-to-diameter ratio. The present experiments were conducted with a row of cylindrical holes oriented at 35 deg to a constant-velocity external flow, systematically varying the hole length-to-diameter ratios (L/D = 1.75, 3.5, 5, 7, and 18), and blowing rates (0.52 ≤ M ≤ 1.56). Results from these experiments show in a region 5 ≤ X/D ≤ 50 downstream of coolant injection that the coolant flow guiding capability in the cylindrical hole was apparently established after five hole diameters and no significant changes in the film cooling effectiveness distribution could be observed for the greater L/D. However, the film cooling effectiveness characteristics generally decreased with decreasing hole L/D ratio in the range of 1.75 ≤ L/D ≤ 5.0. This decrease in film cooling performance was attributed to (1) the undeveloped character of the flow in the coolant channels and (2) the greater effective injection angle of the coolant flow with respect to the external flow direction and surface. The lowest values of film cooling effectiveness were measured for the smallest hole length-to-diameter ratio, L/D = 1.75.

An advanced evaluation method for transient heat transfer experiments using thermochromic liquid crystals (TLCs) combining the advantages of standard hue and maximum intensity methods is presented. In order to obtain a global evaluation of locally correct heat transfer coefficients by using the one-dimensional solution of Fourier's equation, assuming heat conduction in a semi-infinite medium with a convective boundary condition, local input values have to be identified from measurements of the fluid and surface temperatures. For that reason, two different approaches have emerged. First, a two-dimensional numerical method has been adapted to evaluate the transient fluid temperature distributions in multi-pass systems from a few local measurements. Additionally, on the basis of latest calibration and indication experience of TLCs, especially in complex passages, an innovative temporal indication analysis method using a neural network has been implemented in the process of heat transfer evaluation.

To enhance turbine ef ciency, the trailing edge thickness of stators and blades needs to be as thin as possible. One limitation on the trailing edge thickness is the requirement to cool this life-limiting region of the blade. One technique used to achieve a thin cooled trailing edge is that of a pressure side cutback with lm cooling slots. There is a paucity of uid and heat transfer data regarding this type of geometry which is currently being addressed by the EC-funded Framework V project AITEB. This paper reports on experimental work being undertaken by the University of Karlsruhe and accompanying computational uid dynamics (CFD) calculations being performed by MTU Aero Engines and ALSTOM Power. Experimental and numerical data presented include cutback surface lm cooling effectiveness together with slot discharge coef cient values.

The paper presents the results of an investigation on the aerodynamic performance of a full coverage film-cooled nozzle guide vane. The blading is a typical high pressure turbine vane of advanced design, working in the high subsonic regime. Tests have been carried out for a wide range of conditions, including variations in Mach number, coolant to mainstream mass flow rate ratio and location of the coolant injection. Both air and carbon dioxide at ambient conditions have been utilized, as coolant flow. Measurements have been performed in a plane located at 0.5 axial chord downstream of the trailing edge by means of a miniaturized five-hole pressure probe. Performances, in terms of losses, flow angles and profile pressure distributions, for different cooling mass flow rates are presented and compared to the results of the solid blade tests (i.e. with no cooling holes). The results showed a significant increase of the losses with blowing. Test with air and carbon dioxide provided almost equal losses if carried out at the same global momentum flux ratio; however the density ratio was found to influence slightly the share of the coolant fluid among the injection rows and the local momentum flux ratio as well. In order to define the individual contributions of groups of cooling rows on the performance of the blade, three different modes of injection have been tested, namely full, trailing edge and shower head injection. The main trend observed is that trailing edge injection produces the least amount of additional losses at high blowing rates. Full-coverage film-cooling injection did not lead to marked variations in the blade pressure distribution and/or outlet flow angle.

In order to continue increasing the efficiency of gas turbines, an important effort is made on the thermal management of the turbine stage. In particular, understanding and accurately estimating the thermal loads in a vane passage is of primary interest to engine designers looking to optimize the cooling requirements and ensure the integrity of the components. This paper focuses on the measurement of endwall heat transfer in a vane passage with a three-dimensional (3D) airfoil shape and cylindrical endwalls. It also presents a comparison with predictions performed using an in-house developed Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) solver featuring a specific treatment of the numerical smoothing using a flow adaptive scheme. The measurements have been performed in a steady state axial turbine facility on a novel platform developed for heat transfer measurements and integrated to the nozzle guide vane (NGV) row of the turbine. A quasi-isothermal boundary condition is used to obtain both the heat transfer coefficient and the adiabatic wall temperature within a single measurement day. The surface temperature is measured using infrared thermography through small view ports. The infrared camera is mounted on a robot arm with six degrees of freedom to provide high resolution surface temperature and a full coverage of the vane passage. The paper presents results from experiments with two different flow conditions obtained by varying the mass flow through the turbine: measurements at the design point (ReCax=7.2×105) and at a reduced mass flow rate (ReCax=5.2×105). The heat transfer quantities, namely the heat transfer coefficient and the adiabatic wall temperature, are derived from measurements at 14 different isothermal temperatures. The experimental data are supplemented with numerical predictions that are deduced from a set of adiabatic and diabatic simulations. In addition, the predicted flow field in the passage is used to highlight the link between the heat transfer patterns measured and the vortical structures present in the passage.