Experimental investigation and numerical evaluation of the rib application impact on flow structure and heat transfer within a gas turbine cooling passage

From past to the present, enhancing efficiency of aircraft gas turbine engines has been the main goal and hot topic. As known on the basis of gas turbine theory, turbine inlet temperature plays a vital role on engine overall efficiency. Within the scope of this thesis research, rib turbulated cooling passage as one of the turbine blade cooling methods is discussed. Cooling passage is not only analyzed by means of computational fluid dynamics but also investigated experimentally. Flow field through the passage is evaluated using particle image velocimetry. Results obtained from experiments are benefited to compare and validate CFD results. Another objective of the current study is evaluating heat transfer process linked to turbulent flow in addition to presenting flow field within the passage. Results obtained from numerical analysis using k-ω turbulence model as one of the RANS turbulence model agree with experimental data. So, k-ω turbulence model is found to be useful to analyze physical phenomena within the rib roughed cooling passages. On the other hand adaptive PIV approach being used to data processing yields better results under instant velocity alternation or turbulent flow conditions. At high velocities, definition of pitch should be revised. Pitch to rib height ratio must be increased or pitch value should be enhanced. For high velocities design of cooling passages with high blockage ratio is recommended. Results presented in the end of this thesis are thought to contribute national knowledge accumulation directly and development of indigenous and national aerial vehicle and its power system goal as one of the 2023 goals of Turkey implicitly.