Electricity has become so ingrained in everyday life that the current generation has no knowledge of life without it. The majority of power generation in the United States is the result of turbines of some form. With such widespread utilization of these complex rotating machines, any increase in efficiency translates into improvements in the current cost of energy. These improvements manifest themselves as reductions in greenhouse emissions or possible savings to the consumer. The most important temperature regarding turbine performance is the temperature of the hot gas entering the turbine, denoted turbine inlet temperature. Increasing the turbine inlet temperature allows for increases in power production as well as increases in efficiency. The challenge with increasing this temperature, currently the hottest temperature seen by the turbine, is that it currently already exceeds the melting point of the metals that the turbine is manufactured from. Active cooling of stationary and rotating components in the turbine is required. Cooling flows are taken from bleed flows from various stages of the compressor as well as flow from the combustor shell. This cooling flow is considered wasted air as far as performance is concerned and can account for as much as 20% of the mass flow in the hot gas path. Lowering the amount of air used for cooling allows for more to be used for performance gain. Various technologies exist to allow for greater turbine inlet temperatures such as various internal channel features inside of turbine blades, film holes on the surface to cool the outside of the airfoil as well as thermal barrier coatings that insulate the airfoils from the hot mainstream iv flow. The current work is a study of the potential performance impact of coupling two effusion technologies, transpiration and discrete hole film cooling. Film cooling and transpiring flows are individually validated against literature before the two technologies are coupled. The coupled geometries feature 13 film holes of 7.5mm diameter and a transpiring strip 5mm long in the streamwise direction. The first coupled geometry features the porous section upstream of the film holes and the second features it downstream. Both geometries use the same crushed aluminum porous insert of nominal porosity of 50%. Temperature sensitive paint along with an ‘adiabatic’ Rohacell surface (thermal conductivity of 0.029W/m-K) are used to measure adiabatic film cooling effectiveness using a scientific grade high resolution CCD camera. The result is local effectiveness data up to 50 film hole diameters downstream of injection location. Data is laterally averaged and compared with the baseline cases. Local effectiveness contours are used to draw conclusions regarding the interactions between transpiration and discrete hole film cooling. It is found that a linear superposition method is only valid far downstream from the injection location. Both coupled geometries perform better than transpiration or the discrete holes far downstream of the injection location. The coupled geometry featuring the transpiring section downstream of the film holes matches the transpiration effectiveness just downstream of injection and surpasses both transpiration and film cooling further downstream.

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With the need to reduce CO2 emissions in the energy sector, ensure electric grid stability and reduce future cost uncertainties for process cooling, solar cooling can be an interesting solution. This report describes the comparison of solar cooling with either a photovoltaics system or a solar thermal system using a thermally driven chiller. The application investigated was industrial process cooling, for three load profiles and three locations in Europe. The method of comparing was by simulations in TRNSYS and calculation of the global levelized cost of cooling, taking into account the total cost of covering the whole cooling demand. The results for the global levelized cost of cooling showed that solar thermal cooling was not economically competitive compared to the reference system or the photovoltaic cooling system for any of the investigated boundary conditions. The general trend was that the global LCOC for the solar thermal cooling increased with the solar cooling fraction. The photovoltaic solar cooling system global LCOC was in parity with the reference system for low SCF of 20 % to 30 %, and even up to 60 % for some boundary conditions.

Efficiency and power output of gas turbines improve with an increase in turbine inlet temperatures, and blade designers continually seek out new methods of increasing these temperatures. Increases in turbine inlet temperatures are achieved by utilizing a combination of internal convective cooling and external film-cooling. This study will evaluate several novel cooling schemes for turbine airfoils, called microcircuits. Microcircuits are placed inside the turbine blade wall, and the features turbulate the air and increase heat transfer surface area, thereby augmenting convective cooling. The coolant flow then exits internal cooling passages to the external side of the blade. Here the coolant forms a protective layer along the external surface of the blade to protect the blade from the heated mainstream flow. In the current study, a low-speed large-scale wind tunnel facility was developed to measure internal heat transfer coefficients and external adiabatic effectiveness, using thermal liquid crystallography and infrared thermography. This test facility is unique in that it can be used to test the effects of internal cooling features on external film cooling. Results show that the highest augmentations in internal heat transfer were seen at the lowest Reynolds numbers. Internal features affected the shapes of external film-cooling contours, but the magnitudes of the spanwise averaged values did not change significantly with changes in internal geometry. / Master of Science

One of the main goals of recent turbine film cooling research has been to improve the overall efficiency of the turbine by slightly increasing film cooling efficiency. This has a twofold effect. Firstly by increasing the effectiveness of the cooling being done. it is possible to increase the inlet temperature of the combusted air coming into the turbine which in tum increases turbine performance. Secondly by increasing the cooling efficiency less air is required. for cooling. This means that less air will be redirected from the compressor for cooling purposes, allowing more air to reach the combustor to be burned and used for power or thrust generation. Even though much bulk flow pulsation research has been conducted in the past, little research has studied the effect of film coolant pulsation on cooling effectiveness. Previous studies that have been conducted on the effect of film pulsation have provided conflicting results, therefore more research is required. This project provides experimental data and analysis which study, and show the effects that low frequency pulsations (5.55 and 11.11 Hz) at two different blowing rations (.5 and .75) have on film cooling effectiveness. In addition a Kulite dynamic pressure probe was placed at the entrance to the coolant holes in order to provide the actual blowing ratio felt by the holes. The study concluded that film pulsation increases film cooling effectiveness mainly through. a reduction in the amount of coolant gas needed to provide adequate film cooling. In addition to providing some initial data, the study also lays the groundwork for additional research to delve further into film pulsation and answer unanswered questions, which will be conducted at a later time.

A segment of transpiring wall is installed near a row of unshaped film holes. The effects on the aerodynamic performance and cooling downstream of the row of cylindrical holes in the presence of transpiration is studied numerically. The changes in behavior of the film due to relative positioning of the injection sources and blowing ratios are predicted to understand the sensitivity of cooling and aerodynamic losses on the relative positioning of the two sources and each blowing ratio. The results indicate that a coupling of the two sources allows a more efficient use of coolant by generating a more uniform initial film resulting in improved component durability through reduction of hot- streaks. With careful optimization the discrete holes can be placed farther apart laterally operating at a lower blowing ratio with a transpiration segment making the large deficits in cooling effectiveness mid-pitch less severe, overall minimizing coolant usage. Addition of transpiration increases the aerodynamic losses associated with injection. This effect can be arguably small compared to corresponding thermal benefits seen by coupling the two. Comparisons of linear superposition predictions of the two independent sources with the corresponding coupled scenario indicate the two films positively influence one another and outperform predictions. The interaction between the two films is dependent upon the relative placement of the transpiration; all relative placements have an overall beneficial effect on the cooling seen by the protected wall. An increase in area-averaged film cooling effectiveness of 300% is seen along with only a 50% increase in loss coefficient by injecting an additional 10% coolant. In this study the downstream placement of transpiration is found to perform best of the three geometries tested while considering cooling, aerodynamic losses, local uniformity and manufacturing feasibility. With further study and optimization this technique can potentially provide more effective thermal protection at a lower cost of aerodynamic losses and spent coolant. A method of measuring the local temperature of a porous wall is also discussed. Measurements are taken with temperature sensitive paint applied in thin coats to the wall. This technique was validated on a 40PPI, 7% relative density aluminum porous coupon. Measurements of discharge coefficients as well as downstream effectiveness data are included to verify the flow through the porous wall was unaltered by applying the paint. A maximum deviation in film-cooling effectiveness of 9% between the two cases with the majority of data falling within 4% was found, very similar to the experimental uncertainty of the rig. This excellent agreement between the repeated tests showed that by applying thermal paint to a wall of such porosity does not significantly affect the flow exiting the wall and hence the measurement technique can readily be applied to transpiration cooling studies at this scale. Methods of filtering the temperature sensitive paint on the porous wall are presented.

Published Article / This paper discusses the results obtained from studies on the performance of different cooling layouts. The conventional method of cooling makes use of straight-line cooling channels. This simple method of cooling does not possess the capability of uniformly cooling down the part produced. In contrast, conformal cooling is a technique that makes use of cooling channels in an injection moulding tool that closely follows the geometry of the part to be produced. The paper presents some experiences gained in a comparative case study of conventional cooling vs conformal cooling using simulation, followed by an experimental validation and statistical analysis of the results.

Thesis (MScEng (Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / This study evaluates the performance characteristics of a power plant incorporating a steam turbine and a direct air-cooled dry/wet condenser operating at different ambient temperatures. The proposed cooling system uses existing A-frame air-cooled condenser (ACC) technology and through the introduction of a hybrid (dry/wet) dephiegmator achieves measurable enhancement in cooling performance when temperatures are high. In order to determine the thermal-flow performance characteristics of the wet section of the dephlegmator, tests are conducted on an evaporative cooler. From the experimental results, correlations for the water film heat transfer coefficient, air-water mass transfer coefficient and the air-side pressure drop over a deluged tube bundle are developed. During periods of high ambient temperatures the hybrid (dry/wet) condenser operating in a wet mode can achieve the same increased turbine performance as an oversized air-cooled condenser or an air-cooled condenser rith adiabatic cooling (spray cooling) of the inlet air at a considerably lower cost. For the same turbine power output the water consumed by an air-cooled condenser incorporating a hybrid (dry/wet) dephlegmator is at least 20% less than an air- cooled condenser with adiabatic cooling of the inlet air. / Sponsored by the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies, Stellenbosch University

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: During the last 30 years I have been involved in the theory and practice of thermal engineering and in particular, in the areas of air-cooled heat exchangers and cooling towers for the power, refrigeration, process and petrochemical industries in South Africa and internationally. During this period, I have authored and co-authored more than 120 papers that were published in technical journals or presented at conferences nationally or internationally. Most of these papers are included in a manuscript entitled "Air-cooled Heat Exchangers and Cooling Towers", in which Ipresent a systematic approach to the thermal performance evaluation and design of industrial air-cooled heat exchangers and cooling towers. This original publication also includes the relevant practice applicable to the design of cooling systems, based on my experience as a consultant to industry. Design offices throughout the world presently follow our design methods, or at least employ many of our research results. Our work has furthermore contributed to the development of improved cooling system designs (e.g. new dephlegmator header designs), components (e.g. single-row flattened finned tubes) and product improvement and quality control (e.g. performance testing and measurement of thermal contact resistance between fin and tube during production). Many of our research findings have found application in the modification of existing cooling systems. The manuscript has also been used as reference work during the presentation of short courses to practising engineers and consultants in industry and to engineering graduates at the University of Stellenbosch. A two-volume edition of this manuscript was published by PennWell Corp., Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA in 2004. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gedurende die laaste 30 jaar was ek betrokke by die teorie en praktyk van lugverkoelde warmteoordraers en koeltorings vir die kragopwekkings-, verkoelings-, proses- en petro-chemiesenywerhede in Suid-Afrika sowel as in die buiteland. Gedurende hierdie periode was ek outeur en mede-outeur van meer as 120 publikasies wat in tegniese tydskrifte, of by plaaslike of oorsese konferensies aangebied is. Die meeste van hierdie publikasies vorm deel van 'n manuskrip getiteld "Air-cooled Heat Exchangers and Cooling Towers" waarin ek 'n sistematiese benadering tot die bepaling van die termiese vermoë en ontwerp van industriële lugverkoelde warmteoordraers en koeltorings aanbied. Hierdie oorspronklike publikasie bevat ook die relevante praktyk wat van toepassing is op verkoelingsaanlegte. Ontwerpkantore wêreldwyd volg tans hierdie ontwerpsmetodes, of gebruik ten minste baie van ons navorsingsresultate. Ons werk het verder bygedra tot die ontwikkeling van verbeterde verkoelingsaanlegte (bv. nuwe deflegmatore), komponente (bv. enkelbuisry platvinbuise ) en verbeterde produkte en kwaliteitskontrole (bv. toetsing van verkoelingsvermoë oftermiese kontakweerstand tussen vin en buis gedurende produksie). Baie van ons bevindinge het toepassing gevind in die modifikasie van verkoelingsaanlegte. Die manuskrip is ook as verwysing gebruik gedurende die aanbieding van kort kursusse aan ingenieurs in die praktyk en aan nagraadse studente aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch. 'n Twee-volume uitgawe van die manuskrip is deur PennWell Corp., Tulsa, Oklahome, VSA in 2004 gepubliseer.

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