Effect of Plenum Crossflow on Heat (Mass) Transfer Near and Within the Entrance of Film Cooling Holes

Abstract

Convective heat/mass transfer near and within the entrance region of film cooling holes supplied with air from an internal duct (plenum) behind the cooling holes has been measured using a naphthalene sublimation technique. The experiments are conducted for duct Reynolds number, based on the duct inlet flow condition, of 1800 to 13,500, which results in a range of hole Reynolds numbers of 8000 to 30,000, close to actual engine operating conditions. The flow entering the hole can be considered a combination of flow along a 90 deg tube bend and a sudden contraction duct flow. The flow separates at the inner corner and a secondary flow is induced by the centrifugal force associated with the streamline curvature. The mass transfer coefficient for the duct wall (surface of film-cooled plate) with a cooling hole is three to five times higher than for a fully developed duct flow. With a smaller duct, the overall transfer coefficient on the hole entrance surface increases due to the higher duct Reynolds numbers, but the flow has less secondary flow effects within the smaller space. Generally, transfer coefficients on the hole entrance surface are largely unaffected by the duct end presence, but the transfer coefficient is larger downstream for a short distance from the center of the last hole to the duct end. In tests with multiple film cooling holes, the flow at the first hole is more of a curved duct flow (strong secondary flow) and the flow at the last hole is more of a sink-like flow. At the middle hole, the flow is a combination of both flows. The mass transfer rates on the inner hole surfaces are found to be the same for holes with corresponding positions relative to the duct end, although the total number of open holes is different.