Heat transfer rate and film cooling effectiveness measurements in a transient cascade

A transient cascade useful for heat transfer rate measurements is briefly described. The facility employs a free piston which compresses the test gas to temperatures around 450 K and pressures of about 3.5 to 7.5 Atm. The model is initially at room temperature and it is necessary to attain the correct gas to wall temperature ratio. The exit Mach number is set by the inlet total pressure and the pressure in the exit dump tank. Thin film heat transfer gauges are used for the measurement of heat transfer rate, deposited on machineable glass ceramic blades. The inherently fast response of these transducers makes them useful for the investigation of boundary layer transition on blade surfaces and some typical results are included.