Effect of Reynolds Number, Hole Patterns, Target Plate Thickness on Cooling Performance of an Impinging Jet Array: Part II — Conjugate Heat Transfer Results and Optimization

Abstract

This study comprehensively illustrates the effect of Reynolds number, hole spacing, jet-to-target distance and target plate thickness on the conjugate heat transfer performance of an impinging jet array. Test model is constructed with a relatively high conductivity material so that the Biot number of the models match engine condition. Highly resolved temperature distributions on the target plate are obtained utilizing steady liquid crystal over a range of Reynolds numbers varying between 5,000 and 27,5000. Effect of streamwise and spanwise jet-to-jet spacing (X/D, Y/D: 4–8), jet-to-target plate distance (Z/D: 0.75–3) and target plate thickness (t/D: 0.75–2.75) are employed composing a test matrix of 108 different geometries. Measured data are utilized as boundary conditions to conduct finite element simulation. Local and averaged non-dimensional temperature and averaged temperature uniformity of target plate “hot side” are obtained. Optimum hole spacing arrangements, impingement distance and target plate thickness are pointed out to minimize hot side temperature, the amount of cooling air and maximize the temperature uniformity. Also included are 2D predictions with different convective boundary conditions, i.e. row-averaged and local heat transfer coefficients, to estimate the accuracy of temperature prediction in comparison with the conjugate results.