Heat Transfer Measurements for Rotating Turbine Discs

Abstract

To optimise the turbine disc weight and coolant flow requirements, the aspect of improving thermal analysis was investigated. As a consequence, an experimental investigation was undertaken to measure the rates of convective heat transfer. The constant temperature steady state technique was used to determine the local and average heat transfer coefficients on the sides of rotating discs. The effects of coolant flow rates, CW (3000 ≤ CW ≤ 18600) with two types of cavity in-flow conditions and of the rotational speeds, Reθ (from 4×105 to 1.86×106) on the disc heat transfer were studied and correlations developed. For a rotating disc in confined cavities with superimposed coolant flows, Nusselt numbers were found to be higher than those for the free rotating disc without confinement.