Experimental investigation of film-cooling hole performance

Abstract

Film cooling has, over the years, allowed for the operation of modern gas turbines at temperatures far exceeding the limits of the material properties of the turbine components. This has resulted in increased power output and efficiency of the gas turbines. But over 40+ years of research has not culminated in the goal of achieving ideal cooling films, such as from two-dimensional (2D) continuous slots. This study employed a curvature in the forward diffuser section of the film cooling hole; these holes are referred to as cases 1 to 4 in this study. This was expected to improve the performance of the hole. The performance parameters investigated and reported were the discharge coefficient of the holes, the flowfield downstream of the hole exit trailing edge, the temperature field downstream of the hole exit trailing edge and the effectiveness. The effects of pressure ratio, mainstream crossflow, compound angle, hole geometry, manufacturing method, 3D print build orientation, and inclination angle, on the discharge coefficient were investigated. The effects of blowing ratio, hole geometry, compound angle, turbulence intensity and downstream distance from hole exit trailing edge, on the flowfield, temperature field and effectiveness were also investigated. The hole geometries had a diameter of 8 mm and length to diameter ratio equals to 7.5. The compound angle was varied between zero (0) to sixty (60) degrees. The inclination angles of the holes were either thirty (30) and forty (40) degrees. The effect of the compound angle, manufacturing method and 3D print build orientation was found to be negligible for the discharge coefficient. But the above parameters had a significant effect on the adiabatic film cooling effectiveness. Cases 1 to 4 holes showed higher discharge coefficient values as compared to the cylindrical and the laidback fan-shaped holes. This was a result of the development of the flow inside the hole and the resulting exit coolant jet velocity profile and its interaction with the mainstream crossflow. From the flow structure and temperature field measurements it was determined that employing the curvature and the lateral expansion of the cases 1 to 4 holes decreases the height and trajectory of the jet on exit. The decreased height is due to the decreased vertical momentum content of the coolant jet. The decreased trajectory positions the longitudinal vortices closer to the wall which results in better lateral spread of the coolant. From the effectiveness measurements it was found that increasing the compound angle decreases the lateral averaged effectiveness. And a decrease in the lateral averaged effectiveness was observed as the blowing ratio was increased. The case 2 hole geometry resulted in low jet height when in the mainstream, which means that it was closer to the surface that requires cooling. It also resulted in a relatively good lateral spread of the coolant on the surface. And it resulted in the highest laterally averaged effectiveness at most of the compound angles and blowing ratios tested.