The research focuses on testing the film cooling effectiveness on a gas turbine blade suction side surface. The test is performed on a five bladed cascade with a blow down facility. Four different blowing ratios are used in this study, which are 0.5, 1.0, 1.6, and 2.0; mainstream flow conditions are maintained at exit Mach number of 0.7, 1.1 and 1.3. Nitrogen is injected as the coolant so that the oxygen concentration levels can be obtained for the test surface. Based on mass transfer analogy, film cooling effectiveness can be computed with pressure sensitive paint (PSP) technique. The effect of blowing ratio on film cooling effectiveness is presented for each testing condition. The spanwise averaged effectiveness for each case is also presented to compare the blowing ratio and mainstream effect on film cooling effectiveness. Results show that due to effects of shock, the optimum blowing ratio is 1.6 for exit Mach number of 1.1 and 1.3; however; without the effects of shock, the optimum blowing ratio is 1.0 for exit Mach number of 0.7.

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The work presented in this dissertation is the first numerical investigation conducted to study leading edge film cooling with Large Eddy Simulation (LES). A cylindrical leading edge with a flat after-body represents the leading edge, where coolant is injected with a 30Ë compound angle. Three blowing ratios of 0.4, 0.8, and 1.2 are studied. Free-stream Reynolds number is 100,000 and coolant-to-mainstream density ratio is unity. At blowing ratio of 0.4, the effect of coolant inlet condition is investigated. Results show that the fully-turbulent coolant jet increases mixing with the mainstream in the outer shear layer but does not influence the flow dynamics in the turbulent boundary layer at the surface. As a result, the turbulent jet decreases adiabatic effectiveness but does not have a substantial effect on the heat transfer coefficient. At B.R.=0.4, three types of coherent structures are identified which consist of a primary entrainment vortex at the leeward aft-side of the coolant hole, vortex tubes at the windward side of the coolant hole, and hairpin vortices typical of turbulent boundary layers produced by the turbulent interaction of the coolant and mainstream downstream of injection. At B.R. = 0.8 and 1.2, coherent vortex tubes are no longer discernable, whereas the primary vortex structure gains in strength. In all cases, the bulk of the mixing occurs by entrainment which takes place at the leeward aft-side of the coolant jet. This region is characterized by a low pressure core and the primary entrainment vortex. Turbulent shear interaction between coolant jet and mainstream increases substantially with blowing ratio and contributes to the dilution of the coolant jet. As a result of the increased mixing in the shear layer and primary structure, adiabatic effectiveness decreases and heat transfer coefficient increases with increase in blowing ratio. The dissertation also investigates the deposition and erosion of Syngas ash particles in the film cooled leading edge region. Three ash particle sizes of 1, 5, and 10 microns are investigated at all blowing ratios using Lagrangian dynamics. The 1 micron particles with momentum Stokes number St = 0.03 (based on approach velocity and cylinder diameter), show negligible deposition/erosion. The 10 micron particles, on the other hand with a high momentum Stokes number, St = 3, directly impinge and deposit on the surface, with blowing ratio having a minimal effect. The 5 micron particles with St=0.8, show the largest receptivity to coolant flow and blowing ratio. On a mass basis, 90% of deposited mass is from 10 micron particles, with 5 micron particles contributing the other 10%. Overall there is a slight decrease in deposited mass with increase in blowing ratio. About 0.03% of the total incoming particle energy can potentially be transferred as erosive energy to the surface and coolant hole, with contribution coming from only 5 micron particles at B.R.=0.4 and 0.8, and both 5 and 10 micron particles at B.R.=1.2. / Ph. D.

The study presented herein describes and analyzes a detailed experimental investigation of the effects of density ratio on endwall thermal performance at varying blowing rates for a typical nozzle guide vane platform purge jet cooling scheme. An axisymmetric converging endwall with an upstream doublet staggered cylindrical hole purge jet cooling scheme was employed. Nominal exit flow conditions were engine representative and as follows: {rm Ma}_{Exit} = 0.85, {rm Re}_{Exit,C_{ax}} = 1.5 times {10}^6, and large-scale freestream Tu = 16%. Two blowing ratios were investigated corresponding to the upper and lower engine extrema. Each blowing ratio was investigated amid two density ratios; one representing typical experimental neglect of density ratio, at DR = 1.2, and another engine representative density ratio achieved by mixing foreign gases, DR = 1.95. All tests were conducted on a linear cascade in the Virginia Tech Transonic Blowdown Wind Tunnel using IR thermography and transient data reduction techniques. Oil paint flow visualization techniques were used to gather quantitative information regarding the alteration of endwall flow physics due two different blowing rates of high-density coolant. High resolution endwall adiabatic film cooling effectiveness, Nusselt number, and Net Heat Flux Reduction contour plots were used to analyze the thermal effects. The effect of density is dependent on the coolant blowing rate and varies greatly from the high to low blowing condition. At the low blowing condition better near-hole film cooling performance and heat transfer reduction is facilitated with increasing density. However, high density coolant at low blowing rates isn't adequately equipped to penetrate and suppress secondary flows, leaving the SS and PS largely exposed to high velocity and temperature mainstream gases. Conversely, it is observed that density ratio only marginally affects the high blowing condition, as the momentum effects become increasingly dominant. Overall it is concluded density ratio has a first order impact on the secondary flow alterations and subsequent heat transfer distributions that occur as a result of coolant injection and should be accounted for in purge jet cooling scheme design and analysis. Additionally, the effect of increasing high density coolant blowing rate was analyzed. Oil paint flow visualization indicated that significant secondary flow suppression occurs as a result of increasing the blowing rate of high-density coolant. Endwall adiabatic film cooling effectiveness, Nusselt number, and NHFR comparisons confirm this. Low blowing rate coolant has a more favorable thermal impact in the upstream region of the passage, especially near injection. The low momentum of the coolant is eventually dominated and entrained by secondary flows, providing less effectiveness near PS, near SS, and into the throat of the passage. The high momentum present for the high blowing rate, high-density coolant suppresses these secondary flows and provides enhanced cooling in the throat and in high secondary flow regions. However, the increased turbulence impartation due to lift off has an adverse effect on the heat load in the upstream region of the passage. It is concluded that only marginal gains near the throat of the passage are observed with an increase in high density coolant blowing rate, but severe thermal penalty is observed near the passage onset. / Master of Science / Gas turbine technology is used frequently in the burning of natural gas for power production. Increases in engine efficiency are observed with increasing firing temperatures, however this leads to the potential of overheating in the stages following. To prevent failure or melting of components, cooler air is extracted from the upstream compressor section and used to cool these components through various highly complex cooling schemes. The design and operational adequacy of these schemes is highly subject to the mainstream and coolant flow conditions, which are hard to represent in a laboratory setting. This experimental study explores the effects of various coolant conditions, and their respective response, for a purge jet cooling scheme commonly found in engine. This scheme utilizes two rows of staggered cylindrical holes to inject air into the mainstream from platform, upstream of the nozzle guide vane. It is the hope that this air forms a protective layer, effectively shielding the platform from the hostile mainstream conditions. Currently, little research has been done to quantify these effects of purge flow cooling scheme while mimicking engine geometry, mainstream and coolant conditions. For this study, an endwall geometry like that found in engine with a purge jet cooling scheme is studied. Commonly, an upstream gap is formed between the combustor lining and first stage vane platform, which is accounted for in this testing. Mainstream and coolant flow conditions can have large impacts on the results gathered, so both were matched to engine conditions. Varying of coolant density and injection rate is studied and quantitative results are gathered. Results indicate coolant fluid density plays a large role in purge jet cooling, and with neglection of this, potential thermal failure points could be overlooked This is exacerbated with less coolant injection. Interestingly, increasing the amount of coolant injected decreases performance across much of the passage, with only marginal gains in regions of complex flow. These results help to better explain the impacts of experimental neglect of coolant density, and aid in the understanding of purge jet coolant injection.