Navier–Stokes Analysis of Turbine Blade Heat Transfer and Performance

Abstract

A three-dimensional Navier–Stokes analysis of heat transfer and aerodynamic performance is presented for a low-speed linear turbine cascade. The numerical approach used in this analysis consists of an alternate-direction, implicit, approximate-factorization, time-marching technique. An objective of this investigation has been to establish the computational grid density requirements necessary to predict blade surface and endwall heat transfer accurately, as well as the exit plane aerodynamic total pressure loss and flow angle distributions. In addition, a study has been performed to determine the importance of modeling transition as well as a viable implementation strategy for the three-dimensional turbulence model in the turbine blade passage. Results are presented demonstrating that the present procedure can accurately predict three-dimensional turbine blade heat transfer as well as the absolute level and spanwise distribution of aerodynamic performance quantities.