Numerical Investigation of the Effects of Lattice Array Structures on Film Cooling Performance

Abstract

To better understand the mechanism influencing the periodic lattice structures in gas turbine blade cooling, these numerical simulations present a systematic comparison of the effects in cases involving pin-fin, Kagome, and BCC lattice arrays on film-cooling effectiveness under three blowing ratios (i.e., M = 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5). The results indicate that the introduction of lattice array structures improves film-cooling effectiveness within the whole streamwise range, especially downstream of the film hole. With an increase in the blowing ratio, the superiority of lattice array structures relative to those without a lattice becomes increasingly evident. The local film-cooling effectiveness can be increased, to a maximum of about 100%, under a blowing ratio of 1.5. The secondary flow induced by the lattice array structure at the internal flow channel increases the TKE and accelerates the development of vortices in the film cooling hole. Using the lattice array model, the improvement of the Kagome and BCC lattice arrays in terms of film cooling is better than those of pin-fins. In addition, the effect of lattice arrays on film-cooling effectiveness is different at various blowing ratios, and the lattice array structures have little impact on the film cooling at a relatively low blowing ratio.