Rotational effects on the flow field inside a leading edge impingement cooling passage

The work reports for the first time detailed experimental data about the flow field inside an advanced leading edge cooling channel for gas turbine blades. The geometry key features are multiple internal impinging jests and coolant extraction for blade film cooling protection. Measurements have been performed by means of 2D and Stereo PIV, in both static and rotating conditions, with Reynolds number of 30k and 10k and a Rotation number of 0.05, both defined with reference to the jet characteristics. Different crossflow conditions in the feeding channel have been used to simulate the three main blade regions (i.e. HUB, MID, and TIP). The flow inside the feeding channel is significantly affected by rotation, conversely, when moving inside the main impingement duct, the jet core has been found to be only marginal modified due to rotation. Finally, a substantial Reynolds number independence has been found.