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Flowfield measurements for a highly turbulent flow in a stator vane passage

Journal Article · · Journal of Turbomachinery
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.555442· OSTI ID:20086924

Turbine vanes experience high convective surface heat transfer as a consequence of the turbulent flow exiting the combustor. Before improvements to vane heat transfer predictions through boundary layer calculations can be made, an understanding of how the turbulent flow in the inviscid region of the passage reacts as it passes between two adjacent turbine vanes is needed. In this study, a scaled-up turbine vane geometry was used in a low-speed wind tunnel simulation. The test section included a central airfoil with two adjacent vanes. To generate the 20% turbulence levels at the entrance to the cascade, which simulates levels exiting the combustor, an active grid was used. Three-component laser-Doppler velocimeter measurements of the mean and fluctuating quantities were measured in a plane at the vane midspan. Coincident velocity measurements were made to quantify Reynolds shear stress and correlation coefficients. The energy spectra and length scales were also measured to give a complete set of inlet boundary conditions that can be used for numerical simulations. The results show that the turbulent kinetic energy throughout the inviscid region remained relatively high. The surface heat transfer measurements indicated high augmentation near the leading edge as well as the pressure side of the vane as a result of the elevated turbulence levels.

Research Organization:
Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ., Blacksburg, VA (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
US Department of Energy
OSTI ID:
20086924
Journal Information:
Journal of Turbomachinery, Journal Name: Journal of Turbomachinery Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 122; ISSN JOTUEI; ISSN 0889-504X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English