A ROTATING FACILITY TO STUDY HEAT-TRANSFER IN THE COOLING PASSAGES OFTURBINE ROTOR BLADES

This paper describes a new research facility designed to study the eff ect of rotation on heat transfer in the cooling channels of gas turbin e rotor blades. Rotation influences cooling performance via secondary flows generated because of Coriolis forces and centripetal buoyancy. T he resulting complex three-dimensional flow creates asymmetric heat tr ansfer over the channel surface. The research facility has been design ed to permit experiments to be undertaken that are near to actual engi ne conditions. The paper includes details of the design philosophy, co nstruction and commissioning of the facility, together with a selectio n of experimental data.