Experimental Determination of the Heat Transfer Coefficient of Real Cooled Geometry Using Linear Regression Method

Abstract

The scope of this work was to develop a technique based on the regression method and apply it on a real cooled geometry for measuring its internal heat transfer distribution. The proposed methodology is based upon an already available literature approach. For implementation of the methodology, the geometry is initially heated to a known steady temperature, followed by thermal transient, induced by injection of ambient air to its internal cooling system. During the thermal transient, external surface temperature of the geometry is recorded with the help of infrared camera. Then, a numerical procedure based upon a series of transient finite element analyses of the geometry is applied by using the obtained experimental data. The total test duration is divided into time steps, during which the heat flux on the internal surface is iteratively updated to target the measured external surface temperature. The final procured heat flux and internal surface temperature data of each time step is used to find the convective heat transfer coefficient via linear regression. This methodology is successfully implemented on three geometries: a circular duct, a blade with U-bend internal channel, and a cooled high pressure vane of real engine, with the help of a test rig developed at the University of Florence, Italy. The results are compared with the ones retrieved with similar approach available in the open literature, and the pros and cons of both methodologies are discussed in detail for each geometry.