Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 February 2016
Flow visualisation experiments related to turbine film cooling have been conducted. These investigated the fluid mechanics of coolant ejection using a large-scale, flat-plate model at engine-representative Reynolds numbers in a low-speed tunnel with ambient-temperature mainstream flow. The coolant trajectories were captured using a fine nylon mesh covered with thermochromic liquid crystals, allowing measurement of gas temperature contours in planes perpendicular to the flow. Three injection geometries were assessed: cylindrical holes with stream-wise injection, cylindrical holes with cross-stream injection, and fan-shaped holes. The data demonstrated that the cylindrical holes produced discrete jets, which lifted off the surface at high coolant-to-mainstream momentum flux ratios; these jets were characterised by the kidney-shaped stream-tubes expected for injection into cross-flow. The jets injected with cross-stream momentum exhibited a more obvious kidney-shaped cross-section, which rotated with distance downstream of injection. The jets from the fan-shaped holes were attached to the surface even at high momentum flux ratios, were more diffuse, and exhibited two cores of high temperature. The trajectory visualisation data were used to interpret the adiabatic cooling effectiveness measured at the surface.