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Effects of non-axisymmetric endwall contouring and film cooling on the passage flowfield in a linear turbine cascade

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Abstract

The time-resolved flowfield is measured in the passage of a linear turbine cascade to show the effects of endwall film cooling and non-axisymmetric endwall contouring on the passage secondary flows. A particle image velocimetry system is used in three measurement planes: the plane at the exit of the passage and two streamwise planes along the blade suction side. In the downstream half of the passage, the passage vortex moves away from the endwall toward the midspan, but closely follows the profile of the blade suction side. The secondary velocity vectors and vorticity fields in the passage exit plane indicate the large size of the passage vortex. The measured velocities in the streamwise measurement planes reveal the trajectory of the passage vortex as well as steep gradients in the direction normal to the blade surface. The passage vortex can also be identified by elevated flow unsteadiness as reported by turbulent kinetic energy levels. When passage film cooling is added, the size of the passage vortex, secondary velocities, and exit plane turbulent kinetic energy are all increased. Endwall contouring has the opposite effect, reducing the passage vortex size, the secondary velocities, and exit plane turbulent kinetic energy.

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Abbreviations

c :

Coolant upstream of impingement plate

C ax :

Axial chord length

D :

Hole diameter

H :

Impingement gap height

M :

Blowing ratio (ρ c U c/ρ ∞ U ∞)

Ma :

Mach number

P :

Pressure

PIV:

Particle image velocimetry

p :

Pitch length

Re :

Reynolds number (ρ ∞ U ∞ C ax/μ ∞)

S :

Blade span

s :

Static or streamwise coordinate

T :

Temperature

tke:

Turbulent kinetic energy \(\left( {3/4\left[ {\left( {u^{{\prime }} } \right)^{2} + \left( {v^{{\prime }} } \right)^{2} } \right]} \right)\)

U :

Velocity

U inviscid :

Average inviscid velocity vector

U meas :

Average measured velocity vector

U sec :

Secondary velocity vector (U meas − U inviscid)

\(u^{{\prime }}\) :

Fluctuating velocity

x :

Blade axial coordinate

y :

Blade pitchwise coordinate

z :

Blade spanwise coordinate

δ :

Boundary layer thickness (99 %)

μ :

Dynamic viscosity

ρ :

Density

∞ :

Mainstream conditions at the cascade inlet

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge support from the US Department of Energy (DOE), National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) through the University Turbine Systems Research (UTSR) program. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed herein are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the DOE. The writers would like to thank Dr. Stephen Lynch of the Pennsylvania State University, Dr. Brent Craven of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Robin Ames of DOE-NETL for their communication and support regarding this research.

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  1. Amy E. Mensch

    Present address: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, 20899, MD, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Department, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Amy E. Mensch & Karen A. Thole

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  1. Amy E. Mensch
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  2. Karen A. Thole
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Correspondence to Amy E. Mensch.

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Mensch, A., Thole, K.A. Effects of non-axisymmetric endwall contouring and film cooling on the passage flowfield in a linear turbine cascade. Exp Fluids 57, 1 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-015-2093-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-015-2093-5

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