Cooling Airflow Studies at the Leading Edge of a Film-Cooled Airfoil

Abstract

An experimental flow study on cooling holes in cylindrical models simulating the leading edge of a typical turbine airfoil is presented. The effect of external flow around the cylinder on the coolant discharge through a single hole is represented as a function of the momentum ratio of the cooling jet to the local external flow. A similar correlation was found for the effect of internal axial flow. The ability to separate the entrance and exit effects on the hole is due to the fact that the hole is a long orifice. The entrance and exit effects on the coolant flow are expressed as loss coefficients analogous to traditional loss coefficients in pipe flow. The loss coefficients for single holes were used to predict the total and individual flows through an array of holes in the presence of an external flow field. The total flow is predicted accurately as compared to the results of tests on arrays of holes. It can be concluded that the interaction between adjacent cooling holes is slight. The physical model can be used for coolant optimization studies.