Akhilesh Rallabandi1

Turbine Heat Transfer Laboratory,

Mechanical Engineering Dept.
Texas A&M University,
College Station, TX 77843-3123

Jiang Lei2
Turbine Heat Transfer Laboratory,
Mechanical Engineering Department,
Texas A&M University,
College Station, TX 77843-3123

Je-Chin Han
Turbine Heat Transfer Laboratory,
Mechanical Engineering Department,
Texas A&M University,
College Station, TX 77843-3123
e-mail: jc-han@tamu.edu

Salam Azad
Siemens Energy, Inc.,
4400 Alafaya Trail,
Orlando, FL 32826

Ching-Pang Lee
Siemens Energy, Inc.,
4400 Alafaya Trail,
Orlando, FL 32826

Heat Transfer Measurements

in Rotating BladeShape
Serpentine Coolant Passage
With Ribbed Walls at High
Reynolds Numbers
Flow in the internal three-pass serpentine rib turbulated passages of an advanced high
pressure rotor blade is simulated on a 1:1 scale in the laboratory. Tests to measure the
effect of rotation on the Nusselt number are conducted at rotation numbers up to 0.4 and
Reynolds numbers from 75,000 to 165,000. To achieve this similitude, pressurized Freon
R134a vapor is utilized as the working fluid. Experimental heat transfer coefficient measurements are made using the copper-plate regional average method. Regional heat transfer coefficients are correlated with rotation numbers. An increase in heat transfer rates
due to rotation is observed in radially outward passes; a reduction in heat transfer rate is
observed in the radially inward pass. Strikingly, a significant deterioration in heat transfer is noticed in the hub regionbetween the radially inward second pass and the radially outward third pass. This heat transfer reduction is critical for turbine cooling
designs. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4026945]

Introduction
Gas turbine rotor blades and stator vanes use rib-turbulated
internal convective cooling for thermal management. Newer landbased gas turbine engines (with a higher power-rating) are physically larger in size than aviation turbine blades and require higher
hydraulic diameter internal passages. This results in a higher internal Reynolds number (of up to 500,000). The goal of this work is
to acquire heat-transfer coefficient data for a full-scale rotating
turbine blade (Fig. 1) with high internal flow Reynolds numbers.
A significant amount of open literature has been generated for
rib-roughened internal channels over the years. Han [1] conducted
tests on channels with various aspect ratios using orthogonal low
blockage ratio ribs (0.02 < e/D < 0.08) for spacing to height (p/e)
ratios ranging from 10 to 20. It was concluded that, for the spacing
values studied, taller ribs placed closer together (higher e/D and
lower p/e) performed the best. Han and Park [2] and Park et al. [3]
studied heat transfer with nonorthogonal ribs and concluded that
the secondary flows induced by the ribs increase the heat transfer
coefficient on the ribbed surface. They concluded that using ribs
angled at 45 deg60 deg was the most beneficial from a thermal
performance point of view.
The effect of channel aspect ratio has been studied by Han and
Park [2] and Park et al. [3]. Though the ribbed side heat transfer
augmentation is of the same order in all cases, the friction factor
1
Current address: Test R&D Engineer, Intel Corporation, 5000 West Chandler
Boulevard, Chandler, AZ 85226.
2
Current address: Lecturer, SKL SVMS, Xian Jiaotong University, Xian,
Shaanxi 710049, China.
Contributed by the International Gas Turbine Institute (IGTI) of ASME for
publication in the JOURNAL OF TURBOMACHINERY. Manuscript received January 8,
2014; final manuscript received February 18, 2014; published online March 17,
2014. Editor: Ronald Bunker.
The content of this paper is copyrighted by Siemens Energy, Inc. and is licensed
to ASME for publication and distribution only. Any inquiries regarding permission
to use the content of this paper, in whole or in part, for any purpose must be
addressed to Siemens Energy, Inc. directly.

Journal of Turbomachinery

is much higher for channels with wider aspect ratios. Studies by

Taslim et al. [4] have focused on cooling passages embedded in
the leading edge of the blade. Zhang et al. [5] performed studies
on a ribbed triangular channel. A flow visualization of the secondary flows is presented in Ref. [6], and a computational picture of
secondary flows is discussed in Ref. [7]. Su et al. [8] performed
computations on a rotating channel with inclined ribs and presented predictions of secondary flows in the first channel. High
blockage channels have been investigated by Taslim and Lengkong [9] and more recently by Bunker and Bailey [10] and Rallabandi et al. [11]. They found that friction factors increased with
reduced rib spacing; the Normalized Nusselt number ratio (Nu/
Nu0) was reduced by increasing the Reynolds number. They also
found a monotonic dependence of Nu on e/D.
Further derivatives of the inclined rib concept (crossed ribs,
v-shaped ribs, inverted v-shaped ribs [12], broken parallel ribs,
v-shaped broken ribs, d, and wedge shaped ribs [13], etc.) have
been studied. V-shaped ribs are shown to enhance heat transfer
over parallel ribs at lower friction factors than comparable parallel
ribs. The broken v-shaped ribs are found to enhance heat transfer
further at a comparable pressure drop. Studies have shown a deterioration in heat transfer enhancement due to the filleting, though
compensated by a reduction in corresponding friction factor
[10,1416]. This deterioration in heat transfer coefficient was
found to be less at higher Reynolds numbers [11]. The reduction
in friction factor was found to be larger at a higher e/D ratio
[10,11,14], indicating that this effect could actually be beneficial.
Dippery and Sabersky [17] detailed a method to analyze
the pressure drop and heat transfer in a rough duct using nondimensional parameters based on the turbulent boundary layer
law-of-the-wall. Han et al. [2,15,18] adapted these parameters to
rib-roughened channels. This correlation has been applied to various rib configurations (v-shaped, v-shaped broken, etc.) [12] and
aspect ratios [3]. At lower Reynolds numbers in the ribbed channel, both the friction factor and average fully developed Nusselt
number are found to be relatively low. The typical friction factor

C 2014 by ASME
Copyright V

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tion in real 1:1 scale blade-shaped coolant passage at simulated

engine cooling flow rotation conditions. The objective of the current study is to provide heat transfer enhancement under stationary
and rotating condition for real serpentine blade-shaped ribbed
channels in a real size land-based gas turbine blade. This study
focuses on the rotation effect on heat transfer enhancement on
channel midspan as well as before and after the tip and hub turn
regions at high Reynolds number and high rotation number
conditions.

Fig. 1 (a) Rotor blade cross-sectional (b) test section

passages

tends to attenuate to a constant value as the Reynolds number is

increased [9,14]. The Nusselt number shows a monotonically
increasing trend with Reynolds number.
The effect of rotation on the heat transfer in a rotating configuration has been studied extensively in literature. Of special significance are the works of Wagner and Johnson [1922]. The fluid
dynamics in rotating turbine blades with heated walls is a complex
interplay of various forces: internal, viscous, Coriolis, and centrifugal buoyancy. In radially outward flow configurations, the Coriolis force induces secondary circulations within the flow field,
which results in the accumulation of the warm fluid near the leading surface, and cool fluid near the trailing surface. This results in
a reduction in heat transfer along the leading surface and an
increase on the trailing surface. Furthermore, the warm fluid near
the leading surface experiences a Buoyancy force radially inward,
creating a recirculation tendency in the flow field.
Various studies [1928] show an increase in heat transfer on
the trailing surface on radially outward passes and deterioration
on the leading surface. This occurs even when roughness elements
are provided in the channel. For instance, Wagner and Johnson
[21] report that using skewed turbulators undergoes a smaller
deterioration in heat transfer on the leading surface (in the first
pass) in comparison with smooth surfaces.
From the brief review of open literature, the majority heat transfer studies are simulated by physically scaled up flow channel
models. Most of studies are based on Reynolds numbers from
10,000 to 30,000 with rotation numbers around 0.20.4. The
results can be applied to simulate internal coolant passage designs
for aircraft engines. However, for land-based gas turbine blades,
Reynolds numbers can be as high as 100,000 to 200,000, with
rotation numbers around 0.20.4. Since it is not easy to reach high
rotation numbers at very high Reynolds numbers in laboratory
conditions, open literature does not provide heat transfer informa-

Experimental Details. A three-pass serpentine geometry

(Figs. 2 and 3) has been used for the current study. The test section is composed of 15 sequential regions, each region composed
of either 3 (regions 5, 6, 10, 11, and 15) or 4 (all other regions)
copper plates. Each region has a trapezoidal shape (which changes
in hydraulic diameter from the first to the third passes). Within
each region, the plates correspond to leading (suction), trailing
(pressure), and divider walls.
Copper plates in each region are thermally insulated from each
other; each region is also thermally insulated from other regions.
This thermal insulation is facilitated by the use of a garolite insert
which is designed to hold the plates onto the test section surface
without requiring nuts and bolts. Regions 15 comprise the first
pass, 610 the second, and 1115 comprise the third pass.
Four silicone heaters are used for each passlabeled suction
or leading; pressure or trailing; divider and leading
edge or trailing edge. Each silicon heater contacts either 4 or 5
copper plates. The use of the garolite insert to hold the plates in
place (described earlier) ensures that nuts and bolts are not
required to hold the copper-plate-heater in place. This allows the
use of heaters without perforations for this purpose.
The test section is made of green garolite due to its structural
strength and its resistance to test temperatures (80  C). The test
section is housed inside an aluminum pressure vessel. It is held in
place by a compression plate secured by large 1 in. diameter
(2.54 cm) stainless steel bolts. The pressure vessel is attached to
an aluminum rotating arm (100 cm in radius). A similar pressure
vessel is located on another rotating arm housed 180 deg from the
above arm. The second pressure vessel is a dummy pressure vessel installed for rotor-dynamic stability (Fig. 4).
The three-pass serpentine resembles the internal cooling channel of an actual gas turbine blade. As shown in Fig. 1, the central
plains of the first and second pass (as well as the second and third
passes) are at an angle. The U-turn also incorporates a change in
hydraulic diameterthe first pass has a hydraulic diameter of
0.75 in. (9.05 mm), the second pass 0.67 in. (17.02 mm), and the
third pass has a hydraulic diameter of 0.46 in. (11.68 mm). A

Fig. 2 Internal view of test section showing various regions of

measurement

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Transactions of the ASME

Fig. 3

Internal passage view45 deg rib arrangement

plenum (4 times in cross section area to the first pass) is provided

upstream of the first pass to simulate developing thermal and momentum boundary layers in the first pass. A ribbed geometry with an
e/D of 0.081 for the first pass, 0.091 for the second pass, and 0.133
for the third pass is studied. Parallel 45 deg angled ribs are placed on
both pressure and suction walls with a staggered pattern. The p/e
(pitch to height ratio) is 10, which is a typical value used by gas turbine designers. All reported results correspond to this geometry.
T-type (copper-constantan) thermocouples are embedded in
each copper plate. For the heat transfer coefficients encountered
in these tests, the Biot number for each copper plate works out to
less than 0.1, ensuring that the plates are isothermal for experimental considerations. These thermocouples are soldered to feed
through wires which are routed to the stationary frame through a
200 channel slip-ring assembly which is located along the axis of
rotation. The same slip ring/feed through wire assembly is used
for routing the electric power necessary for energizing the different heaters present in the test section. The voltage to each heater
is controlled through unique external variable transformers. A NI
SCXI chassis/terminal block assembly and Labview based program is used to acquire and record the various temperatures
recorded by the thermocouples.
The working fluid for these tests is Freon R134a vapor. R134a
vapor(flow loop details in Fig. 5) is chosen due to its relatively
higher densityat 4.5 atmospheres (test conditions), its density is
18 kg/m3, similar to that of air at gas turbine operating conditions.
The molecular weight of Freon R-134 a is almost four times larger
than air, and it can serve purpose better when compressed to same
pressure. Its Prandtl number is 0.8 at test conditions, which is similar to that of air. Mach numbers expected (corresponding with the
maximum measured Reynolds numbers of 165,000) are < 0.1, so
the flow regime is incompressible. R134a does not have issues
with safety as it is inert and noncombustible at room temperature.
OSHA regulations were followed while handling the refrigerant.
R134a vapor flow is established using two flow loops (Fig. 5), a
primary boiler loop which supplies the R134a vapor for the tests.
This vapor then passes through the condenser where heat is
extracted from the vapor through a noncontact heat exchanger.
The secondary working fluid (which absorbs heat from the primary R134a, which condenses in the condenser) is also R134a.
Journal of Turbomachinery

Fig. 4

Rotating rig assemblyCAD and photographic views

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Fig. 5 Refrigerant R134a vapor working loop schematic

This secondary R134a is a working fluid for a conventional vapor

compression refrigeration system.
Flow rate though the test section is metered by a Coriolis flow
meter. Flow rates reported by the Coriolis flow meter have also
been cross-checked by a rotameter. Flow is routed to the rotating
frame of reference from the stationary frame of upstream and
downstream of the test section (along the axis of rotation). Vapor
pressure of the refrigerant is controlled to 4.5 bar (abs) immediately upstream of the upstream rotary union using a PID controller. Vapor temperature is controlled to 15  C to minimize ambient
external water-vapor condensation on fluid pipe-related issues,
using a PID controlled super-heater downstream of the boiler.
Flow rate is controlled though a PID activated needle valve to
range from 1.65 kg/min to 2.4 kg/min, resulting in a range of
Reynolds numbers from 75,000 to 165,000.
Rotating speeds of up to 600 rpm are achieved, yielding rotation
numbers of up to 0.4. The axis of rotation is horizontal. Special
efforts on balancing the assembly were necessary to ensure the
safety of the test section, the signal (TC) and power transmitting
cables, the housing, and operating personnel.

the test section inhibiting heat transfer within the test section. The
heaters are energized with zero bulk flow. The voltage across the
heaters is adjusted to control the steady state temperature at region
4. Two steady state temperatures are studiedone lower than the
range encountered in the test, and one higher. Based on these two
temperatures, a heat loss characteristic is obtained for each of the
copper plates. Heat loss tests are run at all RPM values.
The local bulk mean temperature Tb is linearly interpolated
from the value measured at the exit of the third pass. A is the projected (smooth) surface area which corresponds to the area of the
copper plate. The Nusselt number for the current study is defined
as Nu hD/k, where k is the thermal conductivity of Freon R134a
vapor. A nondimensional analysis similar to that provided by
Wagner et al. [19] identifies the following parameters that govern
the heat transfer phenomena under rotating conditions:
The rotation number
Ro

XD
V

(2)

Density ratio
Data Reduction. Silicone rubber heaters are used to generate heat
which is dissipated within the test section. The resistance of each
heater, Res is measured before each run. The voltage, Vo volts supplied across each heater is measured by a multimeter. The thermal
power generated by the resistance heater is given by Vo2/Res watts.
Each heater provides constant heat flux along its length. Changing the voltage across the heater changes the steady state temperature measured on each copper plate. Since heat transfer coefficients
vary from region to region, it is not possible to control the temperature recorded for each plate to a constant value. The voltages across
the heaters are actively controlled to ensure that the temperatures at
a central region for each pass correspond to 65  C.
An energy budget for each plate is performed to obtain the heat
transfer coefficient.
h

Q=A  q00loss
Tw  Tb

(1)

Here, q00loss is the heat loss, which is determined experimentally,

based on special test. A low conductivity material is placed inside


DR

 

Dq
Tw  TB

q x
Tw TB =2 x

(3)

These two parameters can be combined together with the model

radius to diameter ratio to yield the Buoyancy number, Bo
Bo Ro2  DR  R=D

(4)

The mean radius (R) corresponds to the distance between the axis
of rotation and the center of the test section (Regions 3, 8, and
13); the mean density ratio corresponds to the bulk mean temperature at the center of the test section. The mean Reynolds number
is based on the mass flow rate at region 4.
In order to isolate the effect of rotation and to eliminate the
Reynolds number effect, data for rotating conditions is presented
as a ratio, Nu/NuS, where NuS is the measured stationary Nusselt
number data acquired for different runs (of Re and RPM) is correlated against Ro, at the corresponding buoyancy parameter as
shown in Table 2. Since Bo is directly proportional to the square

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of Ro (Eq. 4), dependency of Nu/NuS is not shown in this work.

Thus, the obtained results are scalable to engine conditions.
Uncertainties. The main source of error in determining the
Reynolds number is the resolution of the Coriolis flow meter to
measure the mass-flow rate (0.01 lb/min 0.00 45 kg/min) and
temperature measurements to estimate the properties of R134a
accurately. Reynolds numbers are thus estimated with an error of
less than 1%.
The primary contribution to the error in Nusselt number measurement is the thermocouple accuracy. Assuming a 0.1 V voltage
error and a 1  C temperature measurement uncertainty (per information supplied by DAQ supplier), for a typical bulk temperature
difference (30  C), the error in Nusselt number measurement
(based on the KlineMcClintock [29] error propagation scheme)
is less than 4%. The error estimate for the Nusselt number
enhancement due to rotation (Nu NuS) is 8%. This value is
higher because of errors in the rotating Nusselt number as well as
the stationary Nusselt numbers.

The measured resistance of the heaters is found to change less

than 0.5% for the operating range of temperatures. Additional
resistance contribution of the slip rings is measured to be negligible.

Results and Discussions

Stationary Channel Results. The Reynolds numbers studied
are depicted in Figs. 68. Table 1 shows that Reynolds number
gradually increases from the first passage to the third passage.
Due to a reduction in hydraulic diameter going from the first pass
to the third (the channels have the largest cross section in the
upstream portion of the serpentine channel, closer to the leading
edge portion of the blade), the Reynolds number gradually
increases from the first pass to the third. A large volume of literature exists on the subject of roughened channel heat transfer.
Acquired results for stationary channels (reported for the leading
and trailing surfaces of the first passage, in open literature the
45 deg inclined rib turbulators increase the heat transfer to around
23 times of the DittusBoelter correlation (Eq. 5)) depending on
Reynolds numbers. For comparison with simple shaped channels,
stationary NuS/Nu0 data with p/e 10, e/D 0.1, 45 deg rib angle
for Re 60,000200,000 from Rallabandi et al. [30] were
included in Fig. 6 at region 8. The current data show slightly
higher than those of Ref. [30] due to complicated 180 deg tip turning effect. The comparison of data trend is considered as
acceptable.
Nu0 0:023Re0:8 Pr0:4

Fig. 6 Variation of internal NuS/Nu0 for representative regions

in the first pass (Region 3), second pass (Region 8), and third
pass (Region 13). Results from region 8 are compared with
Ref. [31].

Journal of Turbomachinery

(5)

Fig. 7 Variation of internal NuS/Nu0 in regions around the first

turn of the serpentine passage

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Fig. 9

Nondimensional parameter range studied

Fig. 8 Variation of internal NuS/Nu0 is regions around the

second turn of the serpentine passage
Table 1 Nominal and actual Reynolds numbers in study
Nominal case
1st passage
2nd passage
3rd passage

75 k

100 k

125 k

150 k

72,696
79,932
84,142

94,820
104,259
109,751

118,526
130,323
137,188

142,863
157,083
165,358

It is noticed that heat transfer in the first passage is higher than

the second and third passagesbefore the turn is higher than after
the turn. This is due to the combinational effects of 45 deg rib
angle and 180 deg sharp turn, as well as channel cross section and
orientation between passages.
Since the channel in consideration is a ribbed channel (and the
Reynolds numbers are very high), the flow in the channel is turbulent. This results in a relatively short development length and a
relatively constant heat transfer coefficient throughout the channel. Local increases in the heat transfer coefficient occur in
regions 5, 6 and 10, 11, since these regions correspond with Uturns. This is consistent with results in the open literature with stationary channels with U-turns.
Asymmetry in the Nu/Nu0 results between the pressure and suction sides can be attributed to three factors: (a) geometrythe
trapezoidal cross section of the channel results in a deviation in
symmetry from the square/rectangular channel case, (b) staggered
rib turbulators, (c) vorticity triggered by relative angularity and
change in cross section between the first, second, and third passes.
Rotating Channel Results. Similar data has been obtained at
the three rpm values (0, 300, and 500) for Reynolds numbers

Fig. 10 Effect of rotation: variation of internal Nu/NuS versus

rotation number (Ro) for regions 3 (first pass), 8 (second pass),
and 13 (third pass). Results from region 8 are compared with
results from Lei et al. [33].

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Fig. 11 Effect of rotation: variation of internal Nu/NuS versus

rotation number (Ro) along turn between the radially outward
first pass and the radially inward second pass

ranging from 75,000 to 165,000. Rotation numbers of up to 0.4

are obtained in the first pass. A detailed test parameter range is
presented in Fig. 9. The effect of rotation is best visualized by
using Nu/NuS as the ordinate and Ro as the abscissa. At Ro 0,
the case in consideration is stationary and the corresponding Nu/
NuS 1. Increasing Ro (simulated by increasing the rpm) effects
the Nusselt number enhancement. This effect on the enhancement
is dependent on the location under consideration.
Figures 10, 11, and 12 show the effect of increasing the rotation
number on the measured heat transfer coefficient. For the parameter
range studied (for Re 100,000200,000; Ro 0.20.4), the effect
of the Coriolis flow on the flow field seems reduced; rotation
induced asymmetry in heat transfer coefficient between the leading
and trailing surfaces is not very obvious, as compared with those in
open literature (for Re 10,00030,000, Ro 0.20.4).
Table 2 shows the relations between Reynolds number, rotation
number, and local buoyancy parameter in the first, second, and
third passage, respectively. The effect of rotation in the first pass
is to increase the average heat transfer coefficient (as seen in
Fig. 10, Pass 1: Region 3). The flow in the third pass (region 13)
is also radially outward, but rotation is observed to have a more
muted effect.
This can be attributed to the lower rotation numbers in the third
pass and due to increased local Reynolds number. In the second
pass (Region 8), however, the effect of rotation is to suppress the
heat transfer coefficient up to 15%. This can be attributed to rotational (centrifugal) buoyancy. Since the centrifugal force acts
radially outward (i.e., heavier fluid particles are pushed outwards)
in a rotating frame of reference, the buoyant force has an opposite
direction. Warmer (i.e., lighter) fluid pockets are subject to a net
force which acts radially inward in all the three passes. In the first
and third passes, the buoyant force (directed radially inward) is
Journal of Turbomachinery

Fig. 12 Effect of rotation: variation of internal Nu/NuS versus

rotation number (Ro) along the turn between the radially inward
second pass and the radially outward third pass

Table 2

Rotation numbers and local buoyancy parameters

Rotate speed

300 rpm
75 k

100 k

125 k

500 rpm

Region

Re

150 k

75 k

100 k

125 k

R3

Ro 0.2388 0.1831 0.1464 0.1215 0.3995 0.3063 0.2450

Bo 0.3401 0.2062 0.1986 0.1427 0.9358 0.5828 0.3875

R5

Ro 0.2388 0.1831 0.1646 0.1215 0.3995 0.3063 0.2450

Bo 0.2576 0.1585 0.1083 0.0794 0.6719 0.3922 0.2823

R6

Ro 0.1745 0.1338 0.1070 0.0888 0.2919 0.2238 0.1791

Bo 0.1131 0.0748 0.0519 0.0379 0.3003 0.1758 0.1258

R8

Ro 0.1745 0.1338 0.1070 0.0888 0.2919 0.2238 0.1791

Bo 0.1733 0.1061 0.0731 0.0528 0.4831 0.2789 0.1946

R10

Ro 0.1745 0.1338 0.1070 0.0888 0.2919 0.2238 0.1791

Bo 0.2968 0.1785 0.1154 0.0813 0.8463 0.4969 0.3249

R11

Ro 0.0770 0.0591 0.0472 0.0392 0.1289 0.0988 0.0791

Bo 0.0285 0.0177 0.0117 0.0087 0.0837 0.0505 0.0346

R13

Ro 0.0770 0.0591 0.0472 0.0392 0.1289 0.0988 0.0791

Bo 0.0387 0.0239 0.0162 0.0119 0.1001 0.0613 0.0426

opposing the bulk fluid flow. In the second pass, the buoyant force
aligns itself with the bulk fluid flow.
A survey of literature [31,32] indicates that a reduction in heat
transfer coefficient is indeed expected in turbulent internal flow
fields when buoyancy is aligned with bulk flow. This explains the
reduction in heat transfer in the second (radially inward) pass.
This phenomenon is attributed to the suppression of turbulence
generation due to increase in momentum aligned to the bulk flow
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direction in warm fluid pocket. The effect is opposite in radially

outward passesresulting buoyant force in warm fluid pockets
(close to the wall) opposes the bulk flow and therefore increases
shear and generates turbulence increasing heat transfer coefficients.
Similar measurements have been made by Wagner and Johnson [19].
For comparison with simple shaped channels, rotating Nu/NuS
data with p/e 8, e/D 0.1, 45 deg rib angle for Re
10,00040,000 from Lei et al. [33] were included in Fig. 10 at
region 8. The current data show much lower Nu/NuS values than
those of Ref. [33]. This might be due to high Reynolds numbers
and complicate 180 deg tip turning effect. This implies rotating
data from the simple multipass channels with same channel angle
to rotation direction, such as rectangular-to-rectangular multipass
channels at Reynolds numbers from 10,000 to 40,000 and rotation
numbers up to 0.3 [33] might be different from the complicate
real multipass channels with different channel angle to rotation
direction, such as trapezoidal-to-trapezoidal channels at Reynolds
numbers from 75,000 to 165,000 and rotation numbers up to 0.3.
Comparing Figs. 11 and 12, a qualitative reduction in heat
transfer rates due to rotation is observed in the turn corresponding
with the hub region (regions 10 and 11). The trend in Fig. 11
(the turn corresponding with the tip region) is reverse; rotation
increases the heat transfer in the internal passage near the tip
region. This difference can be attributed to the arrangement of the
buoyancy driven secondary flows, which, as discussed in the previous paragraph, are always directed towards the hub. The warmer
fluid in the buoyancy driven boundary layer impinges on the
hub region, suppressing the internal cooling ability at the hub.

Conclusions
A significant amount of internal channel heat transfer coefficient data is collected on a 1:1 scaled turbine blade replica in the
lab at simulated engine conditions for high Reynolds numbers
from 75,000 to 165,000 and high rotation numbers up to 0.4. The
effects of rotation (i.e., the composite of the Coriolis and the
Buoyancy effect) are studied. Results obtained reflect the complicated nature of flow field (the effect of rib turbulators, channel
shape, sharp turns, rotation etc.).
(1) Using R134a as a working fluid, prominent trends in open
literature (obtained using air as a working fluid) can be
reproduced. Nondimensional numbers corresponding to
actual engine conditions (high Reynolds numbers and high
rotation numbers) can be more easily simulated with R134a
due to its higher density.
(2) Rib turbulators are found to increase the heat transfer
coefficient to around 23 times the value predicted by the
DittusBoelter correlation. The NuS/Nu0 values decrease
with Reynolds numbers, a trend widely documented in
open literature.
(3) For the high Reynolds numbers studied, the effect of the
Coriolis force in generating asymmetry between the leading
and trailing surfaces is reduced.
(4) Heat transfer is found to be relatively suppressed in the second pass up to 15%, which has radially inward flow. This
effect is attributed to the suppression of turbulence generation due to the alignment of the buoyancy force acting on
the warmer fluid pockets and the bulk flow.
(5) Heat transfer is found to be suppressed in the hub region
pressure side (the region between the second and the third
passes) up to 25%. This is also attributed to buoyancy
effects. This heat transfer reduction is critical for turbine
cooling designs.

Acknowledgment
This project was sponsored by Siemens Energy Company (the
project initiated by Sanjay Chopra in 2004). The authors from

Texas A&M University would like to acknowledge and extend

their gratitude to Randy Tucker, Lesley Wright, Mike Huh, and
Yao-Hsien Liu who have made contributions to the project during
their study in TAMU-Mechanical Engineering. The project was
also partially supported by TAMU-Marcus Easterling endowment
fund.

Nomenclature
D
h
k
Nu
NuS
Nu0
Pr
PS
Q
q00loss
R
Re
Res
Ro
SS
Tb
Ti
Tw
V
Vo
l
q
X

hydraulic diameter of channel

heat transfer coefficient, W/m2 K
thermal conductivity of Freon R134a vapor
Nusselt number
measured Nusselt number for stationary case at same
Reynolds number
number for smooth duct, based on the DittusBoelter
correlation (Eq. 5)
Prandtl number
trailing side of internal passages, corresponding to blade
external pressure side
heat dissipated by heater, W
local heat loss, W/m2
mean radius
Reynolds number in channel (for pass consideration)
electrical resistance of heater, ohms
rotation number
leading side of internal passages, corresponding to blade
external suction side
local bulk mean temperature
test section inlet temperature, 22  C
local wall temperature
fluid velocity, m/s
voltage, volts
dynamic viscosity
density
angular velocity, rad/s

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