Advanced Statistical Analysis Estimating the Heat Load Issued by Hot Streaks and Turbulence on a High-Pressure Vane in the Context of Adiabatic Large Eddy Simulations

Abstract

The next generation of lean combustion engines promises to further decrease environmental impact and cost of air traffic. Compared to the currently employed Rich Quench Lean (RQL) concept, the flow field at the exit of a lean combustion chamber is characterized by stronger variations of velocity as well as temperature and higher levels of turbulence. These specific features may have a substantial impact on the aerothermal performance of the high-pressure turbine and thereby on the efficiency of the entire engine. Indeed, high levels of turbulence in the Nozzle Guide Vane (NGV) passages locally impact the heat flux and result in globally over dimensioned cooling systems of the NGV. In this study, Large Eddy Simulations (LES) are performed on an engine representative lean combustion simulator geometry to investigate the evolution of turbulence and the migration of hot streaks through the high-pressure turbine. To investigate the impact of non-uniform stator inlet conditions on the estimated thermal stress on the NGVs, adiabatic LES predictions of the lean combustor NGV FACTOR configuration are analyzed through the use of high statistical moments of temperature and two point statistics for the assessment of turbulent quantities. Relations between temperature statistical features and turbulence are evidenced on planes through the NGV passage pointing to the role of mixing and large scale features along with marked wall temperatures that locally can largely differ from obtained mean values.