Nathan J. Greiner

Minimization of Heat Load due to Secondary Reactions in Fuel Rich Environments

The demand for increased thrust, higher engine efficiency, and reduced fuel consumption has increased the turbine inlet temperature and pressure in modern gas turbine engines. The outcome of these higher temperatures and pressures is the potential for unconsumed radical species to enter the turbine. Because modern cooling schemes for turbine blades involve injecting cool, oxygen rich air adjacent to the surface, the potential for reaction with radicals in the mainstream flow and augmented heat transfer to the blade arises. This result is contrary to the purpose of film cooling. In this environment there is a competing desire to consume any free radicals prior to the flow entering the rotor stage while still maintaining surface temperatures below the metal melting temperature.This study evaluated various configurations of multiple cylindrical rows of cooling holes in terms of both heat release and effective downstream cooling. Results were evaluated based on a new Wall Absorption parameter which combined the additional heat available from these secondary reactions with the length of the resulting flame to determine which schemes protected the wall more efficiently. Two particular schemes showed promise. The two row upstream configuration reduced the overall augmentation of heat by creating a short, concentrated reaction area. Conversely, the roll forward configuration minimized the local heat flux enhancement by spreading the reaction area over the surface being cooled.© 2014 ASME

Effect of Variable Properties Within a Boundary Layer With Large Freestream-to-Wall Temperature Differences

Modern aviation combustors run at high fuel-air ratios to achieve high turbine inlet temperatures and higher turbine efficiencies. To maximize turbine durability in such extreme temperatures, the blades are fitted with film cooling schemes to form a layer of cool air between the blade and the hot core flow. Two terms that are utilized to evaluate a cooling scheme are the heat transfer coefficient (h) and the local driving temperature, namely, the adiabatic wall temperature (Taw). The literature presents a method for calculating these two parameters by assuming the heat flux (q) is proportional to the difference in freestream and wall temperatures (T∞ − Tw). Several researchers have shown the viability of this approach by altering the wall temperature over a finite range in low temperature environment. A linear trend ensues where the slope is h and the q = 0 intercept is adiabatic wall temperature. This technique has proven valuable since constant h is known to be a valid assumption for constant property flow.The current study explores the validity of this assumption by analytically predicting and experimentally measuring the h and q at high T∞ and low Tw characteristic of a modern combustor. Both a reference temperature method and temperature ratio method were applied to model the effects of variable properties within the boundary layer. To explore the linearity of the heat transfer with driving temperature, the analysis determined the apparent h and Taw which would be measured over small ranges of Tw by the linear method discussed in the literature. This study shows that, over large Tw ranges, property variations play a significant role. It is also shown that the linear trend technique is valid even at high temperature conditions but only when used in small temperature ranges. Finally, this investigation shows that the apparent Taw used in the linear convective heat transfer assumption is a valid driving temperature over small ranges of Tw but cannot always be interpreted literally as the temperature where q(Taw) = 0.© 2013 ASME

Mitigation of Heat Release from Film Cooling in Fuel-Rich Environments

A result of higher combustor temperatures and pressures is the potential for unconsumed radical species or fuel-rich gas to enter the turbine. When these gases encounter the cool, oxygen-rich cooling air, the potential for a secondary reaction and subsequent augmented heat transfer to the airfoil arises. Depending on the goal of the cooling-flow designer, two different mitigation strategies were proposed and investigated in this effort. The first set of cooling arrangements of holes was conceived with the objective to quickly consume the fuel-rich radicals and decrease the reaction zone size. The tradeoff with these concepts was that the local heat load to the airfoil was expected to be enhanced. The second set of configurations aimed to buffer the reactions off the wall and thus reduce the local augmentation of heat load to the wall. The drawback to these schemes was that the fuel-rich species would not be completely consumed, thus resulting in the potential for further reactions downstream. In addition ...

Minimization of Heat Load Due to Secondary Reactions in Fuel Rich Environments

The demand for increased thrust, higher engine efficiency, and reduced fuel consumption has increased the turbine inlet temperature and pressure in modern gas turbine engines. The outcome of these higher temperatures and pressures is the potential for unconsumed radical species to enter the turbine. Because modern cooling schemes for turbine blades involve injecting cool, oxygen rich air adjacent to the surface, the potential for reaction with radicals in the mainstream flow and augmented heat transfer to the blade arises. This result is contrary to the purpose of film cooling. In this environment there is a competing desire to consume any free radicals prior to the flow entering the rotor stage while still maintaining surface temperatures below the metal melting temperature.This study evaluated various configurations of multiple cylindrical rows of cooling holes in terms of both heat release and effective downstream cooling. Results were evaluated based on a new Wall Absorption parameter which combined the additional heat available from these secondary reactions with the length of the resulting flame to determine which schemes protected the wall more efficiently. Two particular schemes showed promise. The two row upstream configuration reduced the overall augmentation of heat by creating a short, concentrated reaction area. Conversely, the roll forward configuration minimized the local heat flux enhancement by spreading the reaction area over the surface being cooled.© 2014 ASME

Experimental Investigation of Net Heat Flux Reduction at Combustion Temperatures

The present work examines film cooling on a flat plate surface with a freestream temperature between 1430K and 1600K and a coolant to freestream density ratio of approximately two. Since the objective of film cooling is to reduce heat flux to a surface, Net Heat Flux Reduction (NHFR) is used to quantify film cooling performance. It is first demonstrated that non-dimensional matching can be used to scale NHFR between freestream temperature conditions of 1490K and 1600K. Next, the NHFR of a single row of cylindrical holes, fan-shaped holes, holes embedded in a trench, and a slot are compared at a blowing ratio of unity. Finally, the NHFR of five rows of cylindrical holes, holes embedded in trenches, and slots are compared to show the effect of a build-up of coolant near the wall.

Scaling of Adiabatic Effectiveness and Net Heat Flux Reduction From Near Ambient to Engine Temperatures

The present work computationally examines the scaling of a fan-shaped hole’s film-cooling performance from a near ambient temperature to an engine temperature on a flat plate. Heat flux distributions for both film-cooled and non-film-cooled cases were computed for several isothermal boundary conditions. Cases with engine representative freestream temperatures and near ambient temperatures were examined.This study first shows that the adiabatic wall temperatures interpolated from the isothermal results were lower than those measured directly using an adiabatic wall boundary condition. This was due to the presence of a thermal boundary layer in the isothermal results, which would not develop for the adiabatic case. As a result, the adiabatic effectiveness found with adiabatic models will not represent the true thermal condition found in the engine. Finally, this study shows that both the adiabatic effectiveness interpolated from the isothermal results and Net Heat Flux Reduction can be scaled from low temperature to high temperature by proper non-dimensional matching.© 2015 ASME

Effect of Variable Properties and Radiation on Convective Heat Transfer Measurements at Engine Conditions

Experiments measuring film cooling performance are often performed near room temperature over small ranges of driving temperature. For such experiments, fluid properties are nearly constant within the boundary layer and radiative heat transfer is negligible. Consequently, the heat flux to the wall is a linear function of driving temperature. Therefore, the convective heat transfer coefficient and adiabatic wall temperature can be extracted from heat flux measurements at two or more driving temperatures.For large driving temperatures, like those seen in gas turbine engines, significant property variations exist within the boundary layer. In addition, radiative heat transfer becomes sufficiently large such that it can no longer be neglected. As a result, heat flux becomes a non-linear function of driving temperature. Thus, for these high temperature cases, ambient temperature methods utilizing a linear heat flux assumption cannot be employed to characterize the convective heat transfer.The present study experimentally examines the non-linearity of heat flux for large driving temperatures flowing over a flat plate. The results are first used to validate the temperature ratio method presented in a previous study to account for variable properties within a boundary layer. This validation highlighted the need to account for the radiative component of the overall heat transfer. A method is subsequently proposed to account for the effects of both variable properties and radiation simultaneously. Finally, the method is validated with the experimental data.While this methodology was developed in a flat plate rig, it is applicable to any relevant configuration in a hot environment. The method is general and independent of the overall radiative component magnitude and direction. Overall, the technique provides a means of quantifying the impact of both variable properties and the radiative flux on the conductive heat transfer to or from a surface in a single experiment.

Effect of Variable Properties Within a Boundary Layer With Large Freestream to Wall Temperature Differences

Modern aviation combustors run at high fuel-air ratios to achieve high turbine inlet temperatures and higher turbine efficiencies. To maximize turbine durability in such extreme temperatures, the blades are fitted with film cooling schemes to form a layer of cool air between the blade and the hot core flow. Two terms that are utilized to evaluate a cooling scheme are the heat transfer coefficient (h) and the local driving temperature, namely, the adiabatic wall temperature (Taw). The literature presents a method for calculating these two parameters by assuming the heat flux (q) is proportional to the difference in freestream and wall temperatures (T∞ − Tw). Several researchers have shown the viability of this approach by altering the wall temperature over a finite range in low temperature environment. A linear trend ensues where the slope is h and the q = 0 intercept is adiabatic wall temperature. This technique has proven valuable since constant h is known to be a valid assumption for constant property flow.The current study explores the validity of this assumption by analytically predicting and experimentally measuring the h and q at high T∞ and low Tw characteristic of a modern combustor. Both a reference temperature method and temperature ratio method were applied to model the effects of variable properties within the boundary layer. To explore the linearity of the heat transfer with driving temperature, the analysis determined the apparent h and Taw which would be measured over small ranges of Tw by the linear method discussed in the literature. This study shows that, over large Tw ranges, property variations play a significant role. It is also shown that the linear trend technique is valid even at high temperature conditions but only when used in small temperature ranges. Finally, this investigation shows that the apparent Taw used in the linear convective heat transfer assumption is a valid driving temperature over small ranges of Tw but cannot always be interpreted literally as the temperature where q(Taw) = 0.© 2013 ASME