Large Eddy Simulation of Film Cooling Involving Compound Angle Holes: Comparative Study of LES and RANS

Abstract

A large eddy simulation (LES) was performed for film cooling in the gas turbine blade involving spanwise injection angles (orientation angles). For a streamwise coolant injection angle (inclination angle) of 35°, the effects of the orientation angle were compared considering a simple angle of 0° and 30°. Two ratios of the coolant to main flow mass flux (blowing ratio) of 0.5 and 1.0 were considered and the experimental conditions of Jung and Lee (2000) were adopted for the geometry and flow conditions. Moreover, a Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes simulation (RANS) was performed to understand the characteristics of the turbulence models compared to those in the LES and experiments. In the RANS, three turbulence models were compared, namely, the realizable k-e, k-ω shear stress transport, and Reynolds stress models. The temperature field and flow fields predicted through the RANS were similar to those obtained through the experiment and LES. Nevertheless, at a simple angle, the point at which the counter-rotating vortex pair (CRVP) collided on the wall and rose was different from that in the experiment and LES. Under the compound angle, the point at which the CRVP changed to a single vortex was different from that in the LES. The adiabatic film cooling effectiveness could not be accurately determined through the RANS but was well reflected by the LES, even under the compound angle. The reattachment of the injectant at a blowing ratio of 1.0 was better predicted by the RANS at the compound angle than at the simple angle. The temperature fluctuation was predicted to decrease slightly when the injectant was supplied at a compound angle.