Prediction of the Turbine Tip Convective Heat Flux Using Discrete Green's Functions

Abstract

The heat fluxes across the turbine tip gap are characterized by large unsteady pressure gradients and shear from the viscous effects. The classical Newton heat convection equation, based on the turbine inlet total temperature, is inadequate. Previous research from our team relied on the use of the adiabatic wall temperature. In this paper, we propose an alternative approach to predict the convective heat transfer problem across the turbine rotor tip using discrete Green's functions (DGF). The linearity of the energy equation in the solid domain with constant thermal properties can be applied with a superposition technique to measure the data extracted from flow simulations to determine the Green's function distribution. The DGF is a matrix of coefficients that relate the temperature spatial (GF) distribution with the heat flux. This methodology is first applied to a backward facing step, validated using experimental data. The final aim of this paper is to demonstrate the method in the rotor turbine tip. A turbine stage at engine-like conditions was assessed using cfd software. The heat flux pulses were applied at different locations in the rotor tip geometry, and the increment of temperature in this zone was evaluated for different clearances, with a consequent variation of the DGF coefficients. Ultimately, a detailed uncertainty analysis of the methodology was included based on the magnitude of the heat flux pulses used in the DGF coefficients calculation and the uncertainty in the experimental measurements of the wall temperature.