Flow visualization and flow tracking as applied to turbine components in gas turbine engines

Results of flow visualization efforts applied to turbomachinery flows are presented and discussed. These include flows which model phenomena found both interior to and exterior to turbine airfoils in gas turbine engines. Interior arrangements discussed include flows within (i) a curved channel, (ii) a simple swirl chamber with no significant axial flow, (iii) a swirl chamber with axial flow and (iv) a rectangular passage with dimples on one surface. Also visualized and tracked are external flows, including (v) film cooling from round holes subject to bulk flow pulsations, (vi) film cooling from shaped holes with compound angle orientations and (vii) film cooling from cylindrical holes with different angle orientations with respect to the surface. These results, and the techniques employed to obtain the results, are presented to illustrate the capabilities of flow visualization and flow tracking in providing information on instantaneous three-dimensional flow structure in complex turbomachinery environments.

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