Local Heat Transfer Measurements on a Gas Turbine Blade

Abstract

This paper presents an experimental method for determining the variation of the local heat transfer coefficient around gas turbine blades. The method involves the accurate determination of the distribution of metal surface temperature and the heat transfer coefficient and air coolant temperature in the internal cooling passages of the blade. It is shown that from the solution of Laplace's equation and a numerical differentiation at the blade surface of the resulting two-dimensional temperature field an estimate can be made of the normal temperature gradient in the metal which can be related directly to the local heat transfer coefficient at any point of the blade periphery.

The results of experiments on a cascade blade undertaken to demonstrate the method are presented. These results show a clear laminar–turbulent transition on the convex surface of the blade but no transition, as such, is indicated on the concave surface. The magnitude of turbulence in the main stream is shown to have a very marked effect both on the mean level of heat transfer to the blade and on the local variation of the heat transfer coefficient.