Hot-wire anemometry measurements of simulated film cooling are presented to document the influence of the free-stream turbulence intensity and film cooling hole length-to-diameter ratio on mean velocity and on turbulence intensity. Measurements are taken in the zone where the coolant and free-stream flows mix. Flow from one row of film cooling holes with a streamwise injection of 35 deg and no lateral injection and with a coolant-to-free-stream flow velocity ratio of 1.0 is investigated under free-stream turbulence levels of 0.5 and 12 percent. The coolant-to-free-stream density ratio is unity. Two length-to-diameter ratios for the film cooling holes, 2.3 and 7.0, are tested. The Measurements document that under low free-stream turbulence conditions pronounced differences exist in the flowfield between L/D= 7.0 and 2.3. The difference between L/D cases are less prominent at high free-stream turbulence intensities. Generally, Short-L/D injection results in “jetting” of the coolant farther into the free-stream flow and enhanced mixing. Other changes in the flowfield attributable to a rise in free-stream turbulence intensity to engine-representative conditions are documented.

Experimental hot-wire anemometry and thermocouple measurements are taken to document the sensitivity which film cooling performance has to the hole length and the geometry of the plenum which supplies cooling flow to the holes. This sensitivity is described in terms of the effects these geometric features have on hole-exit velocity and turbulence intensity distributions and on adiabatic effectiveness values on the surface downstream. These measurements were taken under high freestream turbulence intensity (12%) conditions, representative of operating gas turbine engines. Coolant is supplied to the film cooling holes by means of (1) an unrestricted plenum, (2) a plenum which restricts the flow approaching the holes, forcing it to flow co-current with the freestream, and (3) a plenum which forces the flow to approach the holes counter-current with the freestream. Short-hole (L/D = 2.3) and long-hole (L/D = 7.0) comparisons are made. The geometry has a single row of film cooling holes with 35°-inclined streamwise injection. The film cooling flow is supplied at the same temperature as that of the freestream for hole-exit measurements and 10°C above the freestream temperature for adiabatic effectiveness measurements, yielding density ratios in the range 0.96–1.0. Two coolant-to-freestream velocity ratios, 0.5 and 1.0, are investigated. The results document the effects of (1) supply plenum geometry, (2) velocity ratio, and (3) hole L/D.

Effusion cooling of combustor liners for gas turbine engines is quite challenging and necessary to prevent thermal distress of the combustor liner walls. The flow and thermal patterns in the cooling layer are affected by the closely spaced film-cooling holes. It is important to fully document how the film layer behaves with a full-coverage cooling scheme to gain an understanding into surface cooling phenomena. This paper discusses experimental results from a combustor simulator tested in a low-speed wind tunnel. Engine representative, nondimensional coolant flows were tested for a full-coverage effusion plate. Laser Doppler velocimetry was used to measure the flow characteristics of the cooling layer. These experiments indicate that the full-coverage film cooling flow has unique and scaleable velocity profiles that result from the closely spaced effusion holes. A parametric study of the cooling flow behavior illustrates the complex nature of the film flow and how it affects cooling performance.

Gas turbines are not generally designed for operation with a particle laden inlet flow but, in fact, are commonly operated in unclean environments resulting in dirt, sand, and other debris ingestion. In addition to the negative effects within the main gas path, for aeroengines these particles are pulled into the coolant system where they can clog cooling passages and erode internal surfaces. Unlike previous research that focused on deposition and erosion within the main gas path, this study evaluated blocking in a double wall liner whereby both impingement and film-cooling holes were simulated. Double wall liners are commonly used in the combustor and turbine for combined internal and external cooling of metal components. Specifically, sand blockages were evaluated through comparisons of measured flowrates for a particular pressure ratio across the liner. Four liner geometries were tested whereby the coolant hole size and orientation were varied in test coupons. At ambient temperature, blocking was shown to be a function of the impingement flow area. A significant rise in blocking was observed as sand and metal temperatures were increased. The overlap between the impingement and film-cooling holes was also found to have a significant effect.