Pressure loss characteristics in rotating coolant passages of gas turbine

Pressure loss characteristics of flow in rotating coolant passages of gas t urbine intermediate shaft were studied experimentally. The effects of rotat ional Reynolds number and coolant now rate on the pressure loss characteris tics of now in the coolant passages were investigated by using a rotational test facility with disks having diameter of 0.5m and maximum rotational sp eed of 4800 rpm. A multi-points pressure measurement system with a rotary c onnector was employed to measure both the wall static pressure along the pa ssages and the total pressure in the intermediate shaft. The results led to an understanding that the strength of the swirl flow controls the total pr essure distribution in the central portion of the shaft. On the other hand, there occurred a large pressure loss at both the junction and in the regio n of branching of coolant passages.