Simulations of Slot Film-Cooling With Freestream Acceleration and Turbulence

Author(s):  
Yousef Kanani ◽  
Sumanta Acharya ◽  
Forrest Ames

Slot film cooling in an accelerating boundary layer with high free-stream turbulence is studied numerically using Large Eddy Simulations (LES). Recent cooling designs of turbine airfoils (such as double-wall cooling) enable slot cooling configurations that are known to provide improved cooling effectiveness over discrete hole cooling systems. Calculations are done for a symmetrical leading edge geometry with the slot fed by a plenum populated with pin fins. To generate the inflow turbulence, the Synthetic Eddy Method (SEM) is used by which the turbulence intensity and length scales in each direction can be specified at the inflow. Different levels of turbulence are imposed at the inflow cross-plane. For the inflow at the plenum, an a priori simulation has been performed in the plenum with pin fins, and the velocity signals are stored at a plane downstream of the pin fins over a sufficient period of time, and are used as the inflow boundary condition in the plenum. Calculations are done for a Reynolds number of 250,000 and freestream turbulence levels of 0.7%, 3.5%, 7.8% and 13.7% are reported. These conditions correspond to the experimental measurements of Busche and Ames (2014). Numerical results show good agreement with experiment data and show the observed decay of thermal effectiveness with turbulence intensity. The turbulence and non-uniformity exiting the slot are shown to play an important role in the cooling effectiveness distributions downstream of the slot. To provide a better understanding of the flow physics and heat transfer, the mean flowfield and turbulence statistics are studied. Generation of freestream structures is observed at the leading edge, and the amplification of the corresponding fluctuations downstream is identified as one of the parameters influencing the slot cooling performance. Predictions show the higher growth rate of the thermal boundary layer with increasing turbulence which is a clear indication of the increase in turbulent thermal diffusivity and reduction of the effective turbulence Prandtl number. The self-similar temperature profiles deviate from those measured under low freestream turbulence condition.

2018 ◽  
Vol 140 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yousef Kanani ◽  
Sumanta Acharya ◽  
Forrest Ames

Slot film cooling in an accelerating boundary layer with high freestream turbulence is studied numerically using large eddy simulations (LES). Calculations are done for a symmetrical leading edge geometry with the slot fed by a plenum populated with pin fins. The synthetic eddy method is used to generate different levels of turbulence and length scales at the inflow cross-plane. Calculations are done for a Reynolds number of 250,000 and freestream turbulence levels of 0.7%, 3.5%, 7.8%, and 13.7% to predict both film cooling effectiveness and heat transfer coefficient over the test surface. These conditions correspond to the experimental measurements of (Busche, M. L., Kingery, J. E., and Ames, F. E., 2014, “Slot Film Cooling in an Accelerating Boundary Layer With High Free-Stream Turbulence,” ASME Paper No. GT2014-25360.) Numerical results show good agreement with measurements and show the observed decay of thermal effectiveness and increase of Stanton number with turbulence intensity. Velocity and turbulence exiting the slot are nonuniform laterally due to the presence of pin fins in the plenum feeding the slot which creates a nonuniform surface temperature distribution. No transition to fully turbulent boundary layer is observed throughout the numerical domain. However, freestream turbulence increases wall shear stress downstream driving the velocity profiles toward the turbulent profile and counteracts the laminarizing effects of the favorable pressure gradient. The effective Prandtl number decreases with freestream turbulence. The temperature profiles deviate from the self-similar profile measured under low freestream turbulence condition, reflecting the role of the increased diffusivity in the boundary layer at higher freestream turbulence.


Author(s):  
Timothy W. Repko ◽  
Andrew C. Nix ◽  
James D. Heidmann

An advanced, high-effectiveness film-cooling design, the anti-vortex hole (AVH) has been investigated by several research groups and shown to mitigate or counter the vorticity generated by conventional holes and increase film effectiveness at high blowing ratios and low freestream turbulence levels. [1, 2] The effects of increased turbulence on the AVH geometry were previously investigated and presented by researchers at West Virginia University (WVU), in collaboration with NASA, in a preliminary CFD study [3] on the film effectiveness and net heat flux reduction (NHFR) at high blowing ratio and elevated freestream turbulence levels for the adjacent AVH. The current paper presents the results of an extended numerical parametric study, which attempts to separate the effects of turbulence intensity and length-scale on film cooling effectiveness of the AVH. In the extended study, higher freestream turbulence intensity and larger scale cases were investigated with turbulence intensities of 5, 10 and 20% and length scales based on cooling hole diameter of Λx/dm = 1, 3 and 6. Increasing turbulence intensity was shown to increase the centerline, span-averaged and area-averaged adiabatic film cooling effectiveness. Larger turbulent length scales were shown to have little to no effect on the centerline, span-averaged and area-averaged adiabatic film-cooling effectiveness at lower turbulence levels, but slightly increased effect at the highest turbulence levels investigated.


2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lesley M. Wright ◽  
Stephen T. McClain ◽  
Michael D. Clemenson

An experimental investigation of film cooling jet structure using two-dimensional particle image velocimetry (PIV) has been completed for cylindrical, simple angle (θ=35 deg) film cooling holes. The PIV measurements are coupled with detailed film cooling effectiveness distributions on the flat plate obtained using a steady state, pressure sensitive paint (PSP) technique. Both the flow and surface measurements were performed in a low speed wind tunnel where the freestream turbulence intensity was varied from 1.2% to 12.5%. With this traditional film cooling configuration, the blowing ratio was varied from 0.5 to 1.5 to compare the jet structure of relatively low and high momentum cooling flows. Velocity maps of the coolant flow (in the streamwise direction) are obtained on three planes spanning a single hole: centerline, 0.25D, and 0.5D (outer edge of the film cooling hole). From the seeded jets, time averaged, mean velocity distributions of the film cooling jets are obtained near the cooled surface. In addition, turbulent fluctuations are obtained for each flow condition. Combining the detailed flow field measurements obtained using PIV (both instantaneous and time averaged) with detailed film cooling effectiveness distributions on the surface (PSP) provides a more complete view of the coolant jet-mainstream flow interaction. Near the edge of the film cooling holes, the turbulent mixing increases, and as a result the film cooling effectiveness decreases. Furthermore, the PIV measurements show the increased mixing of the coolant jet with the mainstream at the elevated freestream turbulence level resulting in a reduction in the jet to effectively protect the film cooled surface.


Author(s):  
A. Chernobrovkin ◽  
B. Lakshminarayana

A viscous flow solver based on the Runge-Kutta scheme has been modified for the numerical investigation of the aerothermal field due to the leading edge film cooling at a compound angle. An existing code has been modified to incorporate multi-block capabilities. Good agreement with the measured data has been achieved. Results of the numerical investigation have been used to analyze the vortex structure associated with the coolant jet-freestream interaction to understand the contribution of different vortices on the cooling effectiveness and aerothermal losses. Two counter-rotating vortices generated by the interaction between the mainflow and the coolant jet have been found to have a major influence in decreasing the cooling efficiency through strong entrainment of the hot fluid. Numerical simulation was carried out to investigate the influence of the inlet Mach number, inlet turbulence intensity, and length scale on the aerothermal field due to the leading edge film cooling. Variation of the inlet Mach number leads to a minor modification of the cooling effectiveness, and this is predominantly caused by the modified pressure gradient. Increased turbulence intensity has profound effect on the cooling near the leading edge. Adiabatic effectiveness downstream of the second row of coolant holes is less sensitive to a change in turbulence intensity. Results of the numerical simulation indicate that the turbulence length scale has a significant effect on the accuracy of the numerical prediction of film cooling. Not only the inlet turbulence intensity but also the turbulence length scale should be accurately set to achieve a reliable numerical prediction of the heat and mass transfer due to film cooling.


Author(s):  
Lesley M. Wright ◽  
Stephen T. McClain ◽  
Michael D. Clemenson

An experimental investigation of film cooling jet structure using two-dimensional, particle image velocimetry (PIV) has been completed for cylindrical, simple angle (θ = 35°) film cooling holes. The PIV measurements are coupled with detailed film cooling effectiveness distributions on the flat plate obtained using a steady state, pressure sensitive paint (PSP) technique. Both the flow and surface measurements were performed in a low speed wind tunnel where the freestream turbulence intensity was varied from 1.2% to 12.5%. With this traditional film cooling configuration, the blowing ratio was varied from 0.5–1.5 to compare the jet structure of relatively low and high momentum cooling flows. Velocity maps of the coolant flow (in the streamwise direction) are obtained on three planes spanning a single hole: centerline, 0.25D, and 0.5D (outer edge of the film cooling hole). From the seeded jets, time averaged, mean velocity distributions of the film cooling jets are obtained near the cooled surface. In addition, turbulent fluctuations are obtained for each flow condition. Combining the detailed flow field measurements obtained using PIV (both instantaneous and time averaged) with detailed film cooling effectiveness distributions on the surface (PSP), provides a more complete view of the coolant jet–mainstream flow interaction. Near the edge of the film cooling holes, the turbulent mixing increases, and as a result the film cooling effectiveness decreases. Furthermore, the PIV measurements show the increased mixing of the coolant jet with the mainstream at the elevated freestream turbulence level resulting in a reduction of the jet to effectively protect the film cooled surface.


Author(s):  
Xianchang Li ◽  
Ting Wang

Numerical simulation is performed in this study to explore film-cooling enhancement by injecting mist into the cooling air with a focus on investigating the effect of various modeling schemes on the simulation results. The effect of turbulence models, dispersed-phase modeling, inclusion of different forces (Saffman, thermophoresis, and Brownian), trajectory tracking, and mist injection scheme is studied. The effect of flow inlet boundary conditions (with/without air supply plenum), inlet turbulence intensity, and the near-wall grid density on simulation results is also included. Using a 2-D slot film cooling simulation with a fixed blowing angle and blowing ratio shows a 2% mist injected into the cooling air can increase the cooling effectiveness about 45%. The RNG k-ε model, RSM and the standard k-ε turbulence model with the enhanced wall treatment produce consistent and reasonable results while the turbulence dispersion has a significant effect on mist film cooling through the stochastic trajectory calculation. The thermophoretic force slightly increases the cooling effectiveness, but the effect of Brownian force and Saffman lift is imperceptible. The cooling performance is affected negatively by the plenum in this study, which alters the velocity profile and turbulence intensity at the jet exit plane. The results of this paper can serve as the qualification reference for future more complicated studies including 3-D cooling holes, different blowing ratios, various density ratios, and rotational effect.


Author(s):  
Paul E. Roach ◽  
David H. Brierley

The publication of the present authors’ boundary layer transition data in 1992 (now widely known as the ERCOFTAC test case T3) has led to a spate of new experimental and modelling efforts aimed at improving our understanding of this problem. This paper describes a new method of determining boundary layer transition with zero mean pressure gradient. The approach examines the development of a laminar boundary layer to the start of transition, accounting for the influences of free-stream turbulence and test surface geometry. It is presented as a “proof of concept”, requiring a significant amount of work before it can be considered as a practically applicable model for transition prediction. The method is based upon one first put forward by G.I. Taylor in the 1930’s, and accounts for the action of local, instantaneous pressure gradients on the developing laminar boundary layer. These pressure gradients are related to the intensity and length scale of turbulence in the free-stream using Taylor’s simple isotropic model. The findings demonstrate the need to account for the separate influences of free-stream turbulence intensity and length scale when considering the transition process. Although the length scale has less of an effect than the intensity, its influence is, nevertheless, significant and must not be overlooked. This fact goes a long way towards explaining the large scatter to be found in simple correlations which involve only the turbulence intensity. Intriguingly, it is demonstrated that it is the free-stream turbulence at the leading edge of the test surface which is important, not that found locally outside the boundary layer. The additional influence of leading edge geometry is also shown to play a major role in fixing the point at which transition begins. It is suggested that the leading edge geometry will distort the incident turbulent eddies, modifying the effective “free-stream” turbulence properties. Consequently, it is shown that the scale of the eddies relative to the leading edge thickness is a further important parameter, and helps bring together a large number of test cases.


Author(s):  
E. J. Walsh ◽  
F. Brighenti ◽  
D. M. McEligot

The evolution of the laminar boundary layer over a flat plate under a free stream turbulence intensity of 1.3% is analysed. The effect of free stream turbulence on the onset of transition is one of the important sources leading to bypass transition. Such disturbances are of great interest in engineering for the prediction of transition on turbine blades. The study concentrates on the early part of the boundary layer, starting from the leading edge, and is characterised by the presence of streamwise elongated regions of high and low streamwise velocity. It is demonstrated that the so called “Klebanoff modes” are not entirely representative of the flow structures, due to the time-averaged representations used in most studies. For the conditions of this investigation it is found that the urms and the peak disturbances remain constant in the early stages of the transition development. This region, in which the streaks strength is constant, is problematic for many theories as it is not known where on a surface to initiate a growth theory calculation, and hence the prediction of transition onset is difficult. The observation that a constant urms region exists within the boundary layer under these conditions may be the source of great difficulty in predicting transition onset under turbulence levels around 1%. This region suggests that the streaks are either continuously generated and damped, or do not grow during the early stage of transition, and highlights the importance of continuous influence of the free stream turbulence along the boundary layer edge. This work concludes that the first is more likely, and furthermore the measurements are shown to agree with recent direct numerical simulations.


Author(s):  
Shichuan Ou ◽  
Richard Rivir ◽  
Matthew Meininger ◽  
Fred Soechting ◽  
Martin Tabbita

This paper studies the film effectiveness and heat transfer coefficients on a large scale symmetric circular leading edge with three rows of film holes. The film hole configuration focuses on a smaller injection angle of 20° and a larger hole pitch with respect to the hole diameter (P/d = 7.86). The study includes four blowing ratios (M = 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5), two Reynolds numbers (Re = 30,000 and 60,000), and two free stream turbulence levels (approximately Tu = 1% and 20% depending on the Reynolds number). The method used to obtain the film cooling effectiveness and the heat transfer coefficient in the experiment is a transient liquid crystal technique. The distributions of film effectiveness and heat transfer coefficient are obtained with spatial resolutions of about 0.6 mm or 13% of the film cooling hole diameter. Results are presented for detailed and spanwise averaged values of film effectiveness and Frössling number. Blowing ratios investigated result in up to 2.8 times the lowest blowing ratio’s film effectiveness. Increasing the Reynolds number from 30,000 to 60,000 results in increasing the effectiveness by up to 55% at high turbulence. Turbulence intensity has up to a 60% attenuation on effectiveness between rows at Re = 30,000. The turbulence intensity has the same order of magnitude but opposite effect as Reynolds number, which also has the same order of magnitude effect as blowing ratio on the film effectiveness. A crossover from attenuation to improved film effectiveness after the second row of film holes is found for the high turbulence case as blowing ratio increases. The blowing ratio of two shows a spatial coupling of the stagnation row of film holes with the second row (21.5°) of film holes which results in the highest film effectiveness and also the highest Frössling numbers.


Author(s):  
Lesley M. Wright ◽  
Stephen T. McClain ◽  
Michael D. Clemenson

Detailed film cooling effectiveness distributions are obtained on a flat plate using the pressure sensitive paint (PSP) technique. The applicability of the PSP technique is expanded to include a coolant-to-mainstream density ratio of 1.4. The effect of density ratio on the film cooling effectiveness is coupled with varying blowing ratio (M = 0.25–2.0), freestream turbulence intensity (Tu = 1%–12.5%), and film hole geometry. The effectiveness distributions are obtained on three separate flat plates containing either simple angle, cylindrical holes, simple angle, fanshaped holes (α = 10°), or simple angle, laidback, fanshaped holes (α = 10°, γ = 10°). In all three cases, the film cooling holes are angled at θ = 35° from the mainstream flow. Using the PSP technique, the combined effects of blowing ratio, turbulence intensity, and density ratio are captured for each film cooling geometry. The detailed film cooling effectiveness distributions, for cylindrical holes, clearly show the effectiveness at the lowest blowing ratio is enhanced at the lower density ratio (DR = 1). However, as the blowing ratio increases, a transition occurs, leading to increased effectiveness with the elevated density ratio (DR = 1.4). In addition, the PSP technique captures an upstream shift of the coolant jet reattachment point as the density ratio increases or the turbulence intensity increases (at moderate blowing ratios for cylindrical holes). With the decreased momentum of the shaped film cooling holes, the greatest film cooling effectiveness is obtained at the lower density ratio (DR = 1.0) over the entire range of blowing ratios considered. In all cases, as the freestream turbulence intensity increases, the film effectiveness decreases; this effect is reduced as the blowing ratio increases for all three film hole configurations.


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