The gas turbine blade/vane internal cooling is achieved by circulating compressed air through the cooling channels inside the turbine blade. Cooling channel geometries vary to fit the blade profile. This paper experimentally investigated the rotational effects on heat transfer in an equilateral triangular channel (Dh=1.83 cm). The triangular shaped channel is applicable to the leading edge of the gas turbine blade. Angled 45 deg ribs are placed on the leading and trailing surfaces of the test section to enhance heat transfer. The rib pitch-to-rib height ratio (P/e) is 8 and the rib height-to-channel hydraulic diameter ratio (e/Dh) is 0.087. Effect of the angled ribs under high rotation numbers and buoyancy parameters is also presented. Results show that due to the radially outward flow, heat transfer is enhanced with rotation on the trailing surface. By varying the Reynolds numbers (10,000–40,000) and the rotational speeds (0–400 rpm), the rotation number and buoyancy parameter reached in this study are 0–0.58 and 0–1.9, respectively. The higher rotation number and buoyancy parameter correlate very well and can be used to predict the rotational heat transfer in the equilateral triangular channel.

This paper experimentally investigated the rotational effects on heat transfer in a smooth two-pass rectangular channel (AR=2:1), which is applicable to the cooling passages in the midportion of the gas turbine blade. The test channel has radially outward flow in the first passage and radially inward flow in the second passage after a 180 deg sharp turn. In the first passage, the flow is developing and heat transfer is increased compared with the fully developed case. Rotation slightly reduces the heat transfer on the leading surface and increases heat transfer on the trailing surface in the first pass. Heat transfer is highly increased by rotation in the turn portion of the first pass on both leading and trailing surfaces. Rotation increased heat transfer enhancement in the tip region up to a maximum Nu ratio (Nu/Nus) of 1.83. In the second passage, under rotating conditions, the leading surface experienced heat transfer enhancements above the stationary case while the trailing surface decreased. The current study has more than four times the range of the rotation number previously achieved for the 2:1 aspect ratio channel. The increased range of the rotation number and buoyancy parameter reached in this study are 0–0.45 and 0–0.8, respectively. The higher rotation number and buoyancy parameter have been correlated very well to predict the rotational heat transfer in the two-pass, 2:1 aspect ratio flow channel.

This paper experimentally investigated the rotational effects on heat transfer in a smooth two-pass rectangular channel (AR=2:1), which is applicable to the cooling passages in the mid portion of the gas turbine blade. The test channel has radially outward flow in the first passage and radially inward flow in the second passage after a 180° sharp turn. In the first passage, the flow is developing and heat transfer is increased compared to the fully developed case. Rotation slightly reduces the heat transfer on the leading surface and increases heat transfer on the trailing surface in the first pass. Heat transfer is highly increased by rotation in the turn portion of the first pass on both leading and trailing surfaces. Rotation increased heat transfer enhancement in the tip region up to a maximum Nu ratio (Nu/Nus) of 1.83. In the second passage, under rotating conditions, the leading surface experienced heat transfer enhancements above the stationary case while the trailing surface decreased. The current study has more than 4 times the range of the rotation number previously achieved for the 2:1 aspect ratio channel. The increased range of the rotation number and buoyancy parameter reached in this study are 0–0.45 and 0–0.8, respectively. The higher rotation number and buoyancy parameter have been correlated very well to predict the rotational heat transfer in the two-pass, 2:1 aspect ratio flow channel.

Rib turbulators are commonly used to enhance the heat transfer within internal cooling passages of advanced gas turbine blades. Many factors affect the thermal performance of a cooling channel with ribs. This study experimentally investigates the effect of rib spacing on the heat transfer enhancement, pressure penalty, and thus the overall thermal performance in both rotating and non-rotating rectangular, cooling channels. In the 1:2 rectangular channels, 45° angled ribs are placed on the leading and trailing surfaces. The pitch of the ribs varies, so rib pitch-to-height (P/e) ratios of 10, 7.5, 5, and 3 are considered. Square ribs with a 1.59 mm × 1.59 mm cross-section are used for all spacings, so the height-to-hydraulic diameter (e/Dh) ratio remains constant at 0.094. With a constant rotational speed of 550 rpm and the Reynolds number ranging from 5000 to 40000, the rotation number in turn varies from 0.2 to 0.02. Because the skewed turbulators induce secondary flow along the length of the rib, the very close rib spacing of P/e = 3, has the best thermal performance in both rotating and non-rotating channels. This close spacing yields the greatest heat transfer enhancement, while the P/e = 5 spacing has the greatest pressure penalty. In addition, the effect of rotation is more pronounced in the channel with the rib spacing of 3. As more ribs are added, the channel is approaching a smooth channel, and the strength of the rotation induced vortices increases.

This paper experimentally investigated the rotational effects on heat transfer in a two-pass rectangular channel (AR=1:4), which is applicable to the channel near the leading edge of the gas turbine blade. The test channel has radially outward flow in the first passage through a redirected sharp-bend entrance and radially inward flow in the second passage after a 180deg sharp turn. In the first passage, rotation effects on heat transfer are reduced by the redirected sharp-bend entrance. In the second passage, under rotating conditions, both leading and trailing surfaces experienced heat transfer enhancements above the stationary case. Rotation greatly increased heat transfer enhancement in the tip region up to a maximum Nu ratio (Nu∕Nus) of 2.4. The objective of the current study is to perform an extended parametric study of the low rotation number (0–0.3) and low buoyancy parameter (0–0.2) achieved previously. By varying the Reynolds numbers (10,000–40,000), the rotational speeds (0–400rpm), and the density ratios (inlet density ratio=0.10–0.16), the increased range of the rotation number and buoyancy parameter reached in this study are 0–0.67 and 0–2.0, respectively. The higher rotation number and buoyancy parameter have been correlated very well to predict the rotational heat transfer in the two-pass, 1:4 aspect ratio flow channel.

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The focus of the current study was to determine the effects of rib spacing on heat transfer in rotating 1:4 AR channels. In the current study, heat transfer experiments were performed in a two-pass, 1:4 aspect ratio channel, with a sharp bend entrance. The channel leading and trailing walls in the first pass and second pass utilized angled rib turbulators (45° to the mainstream flow). The rib height-to-hydraulic diameter ratio (e/Dh) was held constant at 0.078. The channel was oriented 90° to the direction of rotation. Three rib pitch-to-rib height ratios (P/e) were studied: P/e = 2.5, 5, and 10. Each ratio was tested at five Reynolds numbers: 10K, 15K, 20K, 30K and 40K. For each Reynolds number, experiments were conducted at five rotational speeds: 0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 rpm. Results showed that the sharp bend entrance has a significant effect on the first pass heat transfer enhancement. In the second pass, the rib spacing and rotation effect are reduced. The P/e = 10 case had the highest heat transfer enhancement based on total area, whereas the P/e = 2.5 had the highest heat transfer enhancement based on the projected area. The current study has extended the range of the rotation number (Ro) and local buoyancy parameter (Box) for a ribbed 1:4 aspect ratio channel up to 0.65 and 1.5, respectively. Correlations for predicting heat transfer enhancement, due to rotation, in the ribbed (P/e = 2.5, 5, and 10) 1:4 aspect ratio channel, based on the extended range of the rotation number and buoyancy parameter, are presented in the paper.

Rib turbulators are commonly used to enhance the heat transfer within internal cooling passages of advanced gas turbine blades. Many factors affect the thermal performance of a cooling channel with ribs. This study experimentally investigates the effect of rib spacing on the heat transfer enhancement, pressure penalty, and thus the overall thermal performance in both rotating and nonrotating rectangular, cooling channels. In the 1:2 rectangular channels, 45 deg angled ribs are placed on the leading and trailing surfaces. The pitch of the ribs varies, so rib pitchto-height (P=e) ratios of 10, 7.5, 5, and 3 are considered. Square ribs with a 1:59 mm 1:59 mm cross section are used for all rib spacing, so the height-to-hydraulic diameter (e=D h ) ratio remains constant at 0.094. With a constant rotational speed of 550 rpm and the Reynolds number ranging from 5000 to 40,000, the rotation number in turn varies from 0.2 to 0.02. Because the skewed turbulators induce secondary flow along the length of the rib, the very close rib spacing of P=e 3 has the best thermal performance in both rotating and nonrotating channels. This close spacing yields the greatest heat transfer enhancement, whereas the P=e 5 spacing has the greatest pressure penalty. In addition, the effect of rotation is more pronounced in the channel with the rib spacing of 3. As more ribs are added, the channel is approaching a smooth channel, and the strength of the rotation induced vortices increases. Nomenclature A smooth = area of the smooth copper plate A total = area of the smooth copper plate and the ribs AR = channel aspect ratio, W:H Bo x = local buoyancy parameter D h = channel hydraulic diameter e = rib height f = friction factor f 0 = fully developed friction factor in nonrotating, smooth pipe H = channel height h = regionally averaged heat transfer coefficient k = thermal conductivity of the coolant L = length of the rib-roughened portion of the test section Nu = regionally averaged Nusselt number Nu 0 = Nusselt number of the fully developed turbulent flow in nonrotating smooth pipe P = rib spacing P i = pressure at the inlet of the test section P o = pressure at the outlet of the test section Pr = Prandtl number of the coolant q 00 loss = heat loss through the wall q 00 w = heat flux at the wall Re = Reynolds number, VD h = Ro = rotation number, D h =V R x = local radius of rotation T b;x = local coolant bulk temperature T f;x = local film temperature (T w;x T b;x =2) T w;x = local wall temperature V = bulk velocity in streamwise direction W = channel width = rib angle of attack = angle of channel orientation with respect to the axis of rotation = x = local coolant-to-wall density ratio [T w;x T b;x =T f;x ] = thermal performance = viscosity of the coolant = density of the coolant = rotational speed