Heat Transfer and Pressure Measurements in a Lattice-Cooled Trailing Edge of a Turbine Airfoil

An experimental study of the heat transfer distribution and pressure drop through a converging lattice-matrix structure has been performed. This structure represents a gas turbine blade trailing-edge cooling passage. Stationary tests were performed on a scaled up model under three Reynolds numbers (24000<Re<60000). To obtain the wall temperature, the narrow band liquid crystal technique was used, and the heat transfer coefficient value was obtained using the transient method. It’s found that the Nusselt number ratio (Nu/Nu₀) is around 4–5, comparing to the channel flow of similar hydraulic diameter and Re, for the whole lattice-matrix structure. Under the impingement and turning areas, the ratio can be as high as 7–8. Pressure data are taken throughout the lattice structure following the flow direction. The pressure drop increases with Reynolds number and as a result there is a decrease in the thermal performance factor at higher Reynolds number. In the present study thermal performance factor is found to be around 1–1.2. For comparison, pin fin based trailing edge configuration has a typical thermal performance factor of 0.7 to 0.85 under the same Reynolds numbers.