Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis of Flow Characteristics and Heat Transfer Variabilities in Multiple Turbine Blade Cooling Channels

Abstract

Abstract In the realm of gas turbine engine technology, turbine blades are persistently subjected to extreme thermal conditions due to prolonged exposure to high-temperature gases. Given this operating environment, devising effective cooling strategies is paramount for ensuring the turbine’s safety and longevity. Despite the critical nature of this issue, existing literature scarcely addresses cooling channels that incorporate factors like variable cross-sectional attributes and rotational effects. In this study, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and numerical methodologies were employed to analyze the flow mechanism and performance of three distinct cooling channels characterized by variable cross-sectional features. The results indicate a marginal thermal performance improvement of up to 3% for U-shaped cooling channels, specifically at a Reynolds number of 20,000, in comparison to Net cooling channels. Conversely, jet impingement channels outperform U-shaped channels by an impressive margin of over 11%. Additionally, at a Reynolds number of 60,000, jet impingement cooling channels manifest a significant upsurge of nearly 25% in the ratio between average Nusselt number, and the reference Nusselt number when compared with U-shaped and Net cooling channels.