Comparison of Film Cooling Performance for Different Purge Slot Configurations in a Cylindrical and State-of-the-Art Nozzle Guide Vane

Abstract

This comparative study is concerned with the advances in nozzle guide vane (NGV) design developments and their influence on endwall film cooling performance by injecting coolant through the purge slot. This experimental study compares the film cooling effectiveness and the aerodynamic effects for different purge slot configurations on both a flat and an axisymmetrically contoured endwall of a NGV. While the flat endwall cascade was equipped with cylindrical vanes, the contoured endwall cascade consisted of modern NGVs which represent state-of-the-art high-pressure turbine design standards. Geometric variations, e.g. the slot width and injection angle, as well as different blowing ratios were realized. The mainstream flow parameters were set to meet real engine conditions with regard to Reynolds and Mach numbers. Pressure Sensitive Paint was used to determine the adiabatic film cooling effectiveness. Five-hole probe measurements were performed to measure the flow field in the vane wake region. For a more profound insight into the origin of the secondary flows, oil dye visualizations were carried out. The results show that the advances in NGV design have a significantly positive influence on the distribution of the coolant. This has to be attributed to lesser disturbance of the coolant propagation by secondary flow for the optimized NGV design, since the design features are intended to suppress the formation of secondary flow. It is therefore advisable to take these effects into account when designing the film cooling system of a modern high-pressure turbine.