Date of Graduation

2014

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

Department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Committee Chair

Andrew C Nix

Committee Co-Chair

Wade W Huebsch

Committee Member

John M Kuhlman

Abstract

Film cooling is used to thermally protect combustor and turbine components by creating a layer of relatively cooler air than the freestream air to insulate the components from the hot freestream gases. This relatively cooler air is taken from upstream in the high-pressure compressor section at a loss to the engine efficiency, and therefore must be used as effectively as possible. The efficiency gained from increasing the turbine inlet temperature outweighs the loss due to extracting air from the compressor section if the cooling air is used effectively. A novel anti-vortex hole (AVH) geometry has been investigated experimentally through a transient infrared thermography technique to study the film cooling effectiveness and surface convective heat transfer coefficients for varying blowing ratio and freestream turbulence intensity. A major concern with the AVH will be how the secondary jets counteract the main counter rotating vortex (CRV) pair at increased freestream turbulence levels. This is the first experimental facility to study the effects of higher freestream turbulence levels on an AVH geometry. Furthermore, this is the first experimental investigation to report centerline film cooling effectiveness and the convective heat transfer coefficient that had not been reported in prior studies. The AVH geometry is designed with two secondary holes stemming from a main cooling hole; these holes attempt to diffuse the coolant jet and mitigate the vorticity produced by conventional straight holes. This geometry shows improved results at low turbulence intensities compared to conventional straight holes. Three freestream turbulence intensities of 1, 7.5, and 11.7% were investigated at blowing ratios of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 to form a test matrix of twelve different test conditions. Results showed that the higher freestream turbulence conditions were beneficial in the performance of the AVH. Increasing the blowing ratio at all turbulence levels also improved film cooling effectiveness both span-averaged and on the centerline. The highest performing case was at a turbulence intensity of 7.5% and a blowing ratio of 2.0. The 11.7% cases outperformed the 1% cases, but it appears that at 11.7% cases that the higher freestream turbulence reduces the performance of the secondary holes compared to the 7.5% cases. Increasing the blowing ratio and turbulence intensity will result in a higher heat transfer coefficient, and thus must be taken into account for future designs.

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