Development of a design model for airfoil leading edge film cooling

A series of experiments on scaled cylinder models having injection through holes inclined at 20, 30, 45, and 90 degrees are presented. The experiments were conducted in a wind tunnel on several stainless steel test specimens in which flow and heat transfer parameters were measured over simulated airfoil leading edge surfaces. On the basis of the experimental results, an engineering design model is proposed that treats the gas-to-surface heat transfer coefficient with film cooling in a manner suggested by Luckey and L'Ecuyer (1981). It is shown that the main factor influencing the averaged film cooling effectiveness in the showerhead region is the inclination of the injection holes. The effectiveness parameter was not affected by variations in the coolant-to-gas stream pressure ratio, the freestream Mach number, the gas to coolant temperature ratio, or the gas stream Reynolds number. Experience in the wind tunnel tests is reflected in the design of the model in which the coolant side heat transfer coefficient is offset by a simultaneous increase in the gas side film coefficient. The design applications of the analytical model are discussed, with emphasis given to high temperature first stage turbine vanes and rotor blades.