Numerical modeling of heat transfer and pressure losses for an uncooled gas turbine blade tip: Effect of tip clearance and tip geometry

Lamyaa A. El-Gabry

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

A computational study has been performed to predict the heat transfer distribution on the blade tip surface for a representative gas turbine first stage blade. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) predictions of blade tip heat transfer are compared with test measurements taken in a linear cascade, when available. The blade geometry has an inlet Mach number of 0.3 and an exit Mach number of 0.75, pressure ratio of 1.5, exit Reynolds number based on axial chord of 2.57 × 106, and total turning of 110 deg. Three blade tip configurations were considered; a flat tip, a full perimeter squealer, and an offset squealer where the rim is offset to the interior of the tip perimeter. These three tip geometries were modeled at three tip clearances of 1.25%, 2.0%, and 2.75% of the blade span. The tip heat transfer results of the numerical models agree well with data. For the case in which side-by-side comparison with test measurements in the open literature is possible, the magnitude of the heat transfer coefficient in the “sweet spot” matches data exactly and shows 20-50%.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1-10
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Thermal Science and Engineering Applications
Volume1
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2009

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Materials Science
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • General Engineering
  • Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes

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