Modeling the Unsteady Flow in a Turbine Rotor Passage

Abstract

The effects of the wakes shed by an upstream blade row in forcing the transition of an otherwise laminar rotor blade boundary layer are well recognized. Previous experiments have demonstrated that the forced transition of the laminar boundary layer may greatly influence the surface heat flux. The effect of the wakes on the surface heat flux when the undisturbed boundary layer is already turbulent have been studied using an experimental simulation technique. The results have been analyzed with a view to establishing how well the effects of the wakes can be described by a model which treats only their turbulence content. The effects of wake passing at a reduced Reynolds number are also reported.