Numerical and Experimental Analyses of the Serpentine Channel Cooling for a Turbine Blade in Stationary and Rotational Modes

A power plant's gas turbine can operate at temperatures as high as 2,000°C, which is higher than the heat resistance threshold of some critical metals, and it can withstand temperatures between 810 and 930°C on average. Considering the relationship between higher operating temperatures and increased efficiency, different cooling strategies were developed over time in gas turbine blades. This tactical move protects the blade material and allows for higher operation temperatures, thus improving the power plant’s overall efficiency. Over time, blade cooling techniques were investigated and they evolved. This research developed a base numerical model by validating the numerical model using an experimental result conducted for a cooling channel model in different stationary and rotational cases utilizing Reynolds numbers (Re) between 10,000 and 50,000 and rotational numbers from 0.01 to 0.227. The validation focuses on convective cooling in gas turbine blades by studying the fluid behavior inside the cooling channels experimentally and numerically in stationary and rotational modes. This study presents the base case of the computer simulation validation, which will be utilized to study different passive cooling techniques with higher Re and test the real-life rotational numbers and their impact on the local heat transfer inside the cooling channels.