Flow and heat transfer characteristics in a pre-swirl rotor-stator cavity

Abstract

The present study investigates flow and heat transfer characteristics in a rotor-stator pre-swirl system. Considered are rotational Reynolds numbers ReФ ranging from 3.4 × 105 to 6.8 × 105, with jet Reynolds numbers Rew of approximately 8.8 × 104 to 3.81 × 105, and associated turbulent flow parameter λT = Cw/ReФ0.8 varying from 0 to 0.4. Experimentally-measured and numerically-predicted results illustrate the combined and separate influences of jet impingement and rotor entrainment, as they affect and govern flow and heat transfer characteristics within the cavity. These results show that the relative strength of the two effects varies with ReФ and Rew, with similar performance for flow conditions with similar magnitudes of the turbulent flow parameter λT. When 0<λT < 0.27, jet impingement and rotor entrainment both have important influences on flow and heat transfer characteristics. However, when λT > 0.27, the effects of rotor entrainment are less pronounced.